Air India pilot grounded after forgetting dead man on board

London, Dec 26 (UNI) An Air India pilot has been grounded after forgetting about a dead man on board his plane.

The baggage handlers later found the body in the hold on Saturday.

The man - in his 80s - died from a heart attack on a flight from Delhi to Birmingham. The Air India Boeing 777 made an emergency landing at Bucharest where he was pronounced dead.

The pilot ordered his body be stashed in the hold for the rest of the trip.

But, after landing, the Russian pilot, 56, forgot about the body and headed for a nearby hotel.

Baggage handlers were shocked to find a casket containing the dead man, from Bradford.

Police arrested the pilot, who was temporarily grounded, on suspicion of causing a public nuisance by his forgetfulness. But a West Midlands police spokesman said, ''He was released without charge and no action will be taken.'' Air India regional manager for UK and Ireland, KD Row, told UNI, ''There was some surprise among the baggage handlers as there was not enough time to inform everybody about the body. But we had spoken to their supervisors who were aware of what had happened.'' ''The pilot did get off the aircraft. There were some language difficulties and he was not aware he was needed.'' He said since the death case was in Bucharest, the death certificate was in Romanian which caused some confusion. The pilot who was released without any charge, ''has flown the flight back also,'' Mr Row informed.

The airport was aware of the incident as the flight ''was inordinately delayed'', because it had to make the emergency landing at Bucharest.

UNI XC SHB KN1808