Mid-air scare as Jet flight’s pilot falls sick

MUMBAI: An emergency unfolded mid-air on board a Jet Airways flight from Bangkok to Delhi on Wednesday night after its commander fell sick. Flight 9W063 was half way through the journey when the co-pilot had to take charge of the cockpit. Although the flight carrying about 121 passengers landed safely, the aircraft was stuck on the tarmac for nearly 20 minutes and a tow tractor had to be called in to take to its designated parking bay.

MUMBAI: An emergency unfolded mid-air on board a Jet Airways flight from Bangkok to Delhi on Wednesday night after its commander fell sick.

Flight 9W063 was half way through the journey when the co-pilot had to take charge of the cockpit. Although the flight carrying about 121 passengers landed safely, the aircraft was stuck on the tarmac for nearly 20 minutes and a tow tractor had to be called in to take to its designated parking bay. This is because India’s aviation safety regulator does not permit first officers (co-pilots) to taxi an aircraft.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe in the matter and the cockpit crew has been taken off roster pending the inquiry.

“The first officer took over as the commander declared an emergency. This is done so that the flight is accorded high priority and preparations are made for the flight’s arrival on the ground. The aircraft landed safely at Delhi airport,” said a Jet Airways spokesperson.

“The captain was being looked after by a doctor that was travelling as a passenger on board the flight,” said the spokesperson. Another Jet Airways captain Rajiv Malhotra, who was among the passenger, helped co-pilot Samir Malhotra, said the spokesperson.

Sources told HT that Rajiv Malhotra was Samir’s father but the airline spokesperson said that the two were not related. Rajiv was returning to Delhi after a routine simulator check at Bangkok, sources said.

“As part of our flight training prog ramme, the flight crew and cabin crew of Jet Airways are routinely trained to handle this as well as other possible exigencies that may develop during flight,” the spokesperson said.

Air safety experts said that the DGCA needs to reconsider its ban on taxiing by co-pilots. Industry sources said the logic behind the DGCA’s rule could be that the position of the steering device to taxi a plane differs from aircraft to aircraft.

Aviation experts say that many co-pilots are not trained, even on simulated training sessions, to taxi the aircraft. In this particular case, it is not clear whether the co-pilot called for the towing vehicle because he was unfamiliar with the work.

“There is nothing preventing a pilot flying from taxiing an aircraft, whether it is a captain or co-pilot. If the DGCA has any rule which prohibits a co-pilot from taxiing, it is one more example of clueless rules,” said Captain Mohan Ranganthan, an independent air safety expert and a retired Boeing commander.