Panel lists strict take-off rules for AI GoAir offloads 13 drunk passengers
NEW DELHI: The high-level committee, which probed the Mumbai airport accident where an Air India (AI) technician died after being sucked inside the aircraft, has directed the airline to ban entry of unauthorised persons in the cockpit, among other strict measures to ensure there is no repeat of the December 16, 2015 accident. It has also asked AI to change its rostering system to ensure that the pilots reach the aircraft well before the flight time, and stop off-duty pilots from taking flight clearance.
“Stop staff-on-duty pilots (from) obtaining flight clearances….not allow entry of unauthorised persons in the cockpit,” the committee has said.
An off-duty AI pilot, travelling as a passenger on the MumbaiHyderabad flight, had obtained clearance from the Mumbai air traffic control instead of the pilots who were to actually operate that flight, but were running late.
Crew, the committee has said, must board the aircraft 20 minutes prior to the actual departure and minimum 30 minutes of time gap should be there in case of change of aircraft between two consecutive flights.
On December 16, the Hyderabad flight was scheduled to depart at 7.30 pm from Mumbai. However, the incoming flight from Rajkot, operated by the same set of pilots, arrived in Mumbai only at 8.35 pm. NEWDELHI:Thirteen drunk passengers were off-loaded from a Srinagar-bound GoAir flight after they createdaruckus,anddidnotallow the plane to take-off at the Delhi airport.
The incident happened on July 1 . “There were 13 drunk passengers who started shouting soon after boarding and claimed that two from their group were not allowed to board. Soon other passengers started complaining,” said a source.
A senior DGCA official, who was on the flight, intervened and asked the pilots to call in security to offload the unruly passengers.
A GoAir spokesperson confirmed the incident. The flight departed after a delay of more than an hour.