CREW FLY JET DEEPER INTO TURBULENCE
Forget to turn on switch that maintains cabin pressure
At least 30 Jet Airways passengers complained of bleeding, headache and uneasiness on a flight from Mumbai to Jaipur on Thursday as the pilots “forgot” to maintain air pressure inside the cabin.
The pilots of flight 9W 767 have been taken off duty and a probe ordered by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. “Jet Airways is extending full cooperation to the DGCA for the investigation,” the airline said in a statement. After the incident, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered a comprehensive safety audit plan covering airlines, airports and pilot training schools. The report will be submitted in a month. Director General of Civil Aviation B S Bhullar said the audits would cover all critical areas. The Boeing 737-800 — carrying 166 passengers and 5 crew members — ascended 10,000 ft but had to return within minutes.
At least 30 Jet Airways passengers complained of bleeding, headaches and uneasiness on a flight from Mumbai to Jaipur on Thursday as the pilots “forgot” to maintain air pressure inside the cabin.
The pilots of flight 9W 767 have been taken off duty and a probe ordered by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. “Jet Airways is extending full cooperation to the DGCA for the investigation,” the airline said in a statement.
After the incident, civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu ordered a comprehensive safety audit plan covering airlines, airports and pilot training schools. The report will be submitted in a month. Director General of Civil Aviation B S Bhullar said the audits will cover all critical areas.
The Boeing 737-800— carrying 166 passengers and 5 crew members— ascended to 10,000 ft but had to return within minutes. Oxygen masks were deployed as cabin pressure went below the required level. As an aircraft climbs, atmospheric pressure drops inside the cabin. Pilots turn on a switch to maintain cabin pressure before takeoff or immediately after getting airborne to maintain oxygen level. At cruising altitude, cabin pressure is maintained at 8,000 ft or less. When the cabin pressure increases to above 10,000 ft, pilots receive alert inside the cockpit. Oxygen masks deploy automatically when it crosses 14,000 ft.
“Clearly, there appears to be sheer ignorance of the standard operating procedure checklist or a clumsy, careless mistake,” said aviation consultant Mark Martin. “The incident puts a question mark on the airline’s training standard and importantly about pilots’ situational awareness,” said aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganathan.
The airline said 144 passengers travelled to Jaipur on alternate flights, while 17 deferred travel. Five were sent to a city hospital and released after examination. According to a doctor at Dr Balabhai Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, the five passengers were suffering from “mild conductive deafness”. One of the five Jet passengers who were sent to the hospital, has demanded ~3 million in compensation, besides 100 upgrade vouchers, sources in the airline have said.
Jet is going through turbulent times. On Wednesday, the airline’s shares tumbled over 4 per cent amid survey conducted by income tax officials at its offices. The scrip declined 3.67 per cent to end at ~244.25 on BSE on Wednesday. During the day, it lost 5.71 per cent to ~239.05— its 52-week low level.
According to two senior pilots working with two different airlines and regulatory officials, Thursday’s incident could be due to human negligence as checking cabin pressure is part of standard checks carried out before operation of a flight. A pilot said de-pressurisation could even result in hypoxia, or lack of adequate oxygen supply for the human tissues, and can cause problems including deterioration in cognitive abilities. Prashant Sharma, who was on an official trip, said the terrifying experience began 5-10 minutes into the flight. “I saw a passenger sitting next to me bleeding from nose,” Sharma said.
“The crew announced the plane will return... It then circled overhead for around half-an-hour before landing,” said another passenger.
Darshak Hati, who shot a video on board and posted it on social media, narrated a similar story. “During a climb, the crew forgot to select bleed switch due to which cabin pressurisation could not be maintained. As a result, oxygen masks got deployed,” a DGCA official said.