SpiceJet Pilots Taken Off Flying Duty After Photo Of Them Having ‘Gujhiyas’ and Beverage Mid-Air in Cockpit Goes Viral
Mumbai, March 15: SpiceJet has taken strict action against two pilots for celebrating Holi while flying a flight. A photo of the pilots having Gujhiyas with beverages kept on the aircraft’s center console on a Delhi-Guwahati flight went viral on social media. The airline has now grounded the duo for causing a safety issue. The incident took place last Wednesday when the flight was 37,000 feet above sea level and was cruising at 0.79 mach (975 mph).
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took cognisance of the viral photo on Tuesday and asked the airline to take action immediately. The aviation watchdog asked SpiceJet to identify the crew members risking the lives of the flyers. According to the DGCA, even a little spillage of the beverages on the console desk could have made things worse. Following getting directives from the agency, SpiceJet took the pilots off flying duty. SpiceJet Pilots Accused of Placing Beverage Cup on Key Equipment Inside Plane’s Cockpit, Netizens Raise Safety Concern After Photo Goes Viral.
SpiceJet Pilots Celebrate Holi In Cockpit:
Appalling & extremely unprofessional behaviour by @flyspicejet pilots.
If the liquid (resting on the fuel cutoff levers) spills, it can short circuit the electronics affecting a range of systems and compromise the aircraft’s ability to fly safely.@DGCAIndia @JM_Scindia pic.twitter.com/2n7O5daIg1
— Bandit (@BanditOnYour6) March 14, 2023
In a statement regarding the incident, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, “both pilots have been off-rostered pending an inquiry. SpiceJet has a strict policy for the consumption of food inside the cockpit which is adhered to by all flight crew. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken upon completion of the investigation.” SpiceJet Flight Passenger Shares Photos and Videos of Smoke in Cabin, Alleges Oxygen Masks Didn’t Deploy; Priyanka Chaturvedi Reacts.
The act of these two received a backlash from senior pilots. They also expressed concern over the safety of everyone. If the beverage had spilled, it would have gone into fuel levers or the fire control switches on the console, it could have triggered a short circuit and a subsequent false fire warning. Following this, the crew would have to declare an emergency and the company would have to bear the cost, said a senior pilot.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Mar 15, 2023 09:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
