Probe against Air Deccan cramming passengers

Kolkata: Director General of Civil Aviation has launched a probe into the Thursday night Patna airport fiasco in which an Air Deccan flight attempted to take off with excess passengers on board.
Airports Authority of India regional executive director (east) S P S Baxi has also launched an independent probe into the shocking incident. The cabin crew staff on the Ranchi-Patna-Delhi flight DN 726/727 had attempted to 'accommodate' excess passengers in the flight by asking parents to carry children on the lap.
The bizzare behaviour of the flight crew has sent shock waves through the industry. "The trim sheet that entails the carriage weight (passengers, luggage and fuel) is sacroscant. Last minute tampering with it is harakiri," remarked a veteran Airbus A-320 pilot.
Expressing regret at inconvenience caused to passengers, Air Deccan chief operating officer Warwick Brady said the matter was under investigation.
"The load is always within aircraft limits. According to airline safety norms, infants do not get separate seats on the aircraft. They are seated with parents," he said, choosing to remain silent on the fact that the guidelines also stipulate that children above two years have to be compulsorily allotted seats and cannot travel on lap.
09/03/07 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India

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Categories: Air Deccan Mar 2007, Safety Mar 2007