Trainee Jet Airways pilot endangers life of 200 flyers

New Delhi, Feb 15: In what can be called an ultimate case of negligence and fault of the first order, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has pulled up Jet Airways for allegedly allowing a trainee pilot to land a 737 aircraft carrying close to 200 passengers in Chennai in Oct last year. The Jet Airways pilot and a cockpit crew member who allowed the same have been suspended for two and a half months.

According to official sources, the suspension was carried out only after the DGCA asked the airlines to take tangible action against the pilot and the chief of its flight safety on the incident that happened four months ago.

A Jet Airways spokesperson stated that the action against the pilot and the crew member was taken based on "appropriate investigations and a confidential report." It has also been reported that the commander who directed the co-pilot to allow the trainee pilot to take control has also been slapped with a suspension. He has, however, got back to flying after serving his suspension.

With the clamour for a more harsher punishment for Jet Airways getting louder, the DGCA has asked the airline to take strict action against the chief of its flight safety regarding the incident. A spokesperson for the Jet Airways commented, "We have been in discussion with the DGCA. They are completely satisfied with the steps taken. In line with international practices on enforcing safety, a voluntary and confidential reporting system exists in Jet Airways for all its employees."

OneIndia News