Pilot lets pal in cockpit, abuses crew

New Delhi, 05 Mar 2013: An Air India airhostess has accused her flight commander of misbehaving with her and other crew members during a Delhi-Kolkata flight on Saturday, after they objected to the unauthorized presence of a passenger inside the cockpit.

 

According to a police complaint filed by the cabin crew head, when airhostesses went to the cockpit to ask the passenger to return to the cabin, the pilot told them: "Fir kahan bithaoon, tum apni goad me bitha ke le jao (Where should I make him sit? Seat him on your lap)."

 

A heated exchange of words followed during which the pilot continued to misbehave, the complaint said. The passenger, a customs officer travelling on duty reportedly, is learnt to have completed the journey sitting in the cockpit, in violation of all safety rules.

 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has grounded the commander and sought all relevant details from AI for further action.

 

DGCA will investigate whether the customs officer had a valid ticket or had travelled throughout in the cockpit. The crew will be called to the DGCA office on Tuesday for witness deposition.

 

Delhi Police has registered a case of outraging a woman’s modesty under section 509 of IPC and were investigating. "No arrests have been made yet," a police officer said.

 

An airline spokesman said that the commander had been suspended.

 

After the incident, the captain was allowed to fly again. He operated a Delhi-Bangkok flight on Sunday night-Monday morning. He is likely to be told about the ongoing disciplinary action on his return to Delhi on Tuesday.

 

"The DGCA grounded the pilot on Monday afternoon. By then, he had already commandeered a flight to Bangkok," said an AI official, adding: "But on Tuesday he will return to Delhi as a cabin passenger and will not be flying the plane."

 

The suspended captain is also learnt to have tried to dodge a breath-analyzer test for alcohol recently. A colleague said the pilot had a "knack for getting himself into trouble". The DGCA will also probe his track record before deciding on the action to be taken against him.

 

Following the strict tightening of safety rules after the 9/11 attacks in New York, no one except the flight crew is allowed to enter the cockpit. In fact, the crew is not allowed to take any unauthorized person such as a passenger inside the cockpit during a flight.

 

The airhostesses were objecting to this violation when the mid-air altercation took place on AI 020.