AI flight went pilotless as crew fought

New Delhi: Air India's Sharjah-Delhi flight IC-884 reportedly flew pilotless for several minutes at a height of 30,000 feet on Saturday as the pilots and cabin crew scuffled, abused and jostled with one another putting at grave risk the lives of 106 passengers on board.
This sensational disclosure was made by Amit Khanna, the flight purser and Komal, an air-hostess before an Air India inquiry committee on Monday.
Early on Saturday, IC-884, under the command of Capt Ranbir Arora and assisted by Capt Aditya Chopra, took off from Sharjah en route to Lucknow before terminating at Delhi.
The crew members alleged that when the plane was flying over Pakistan at 30,000 ft, a scuffle broke out between them on the one side and the pilots on the other, during which Chopra stood at the entrance of the cockpit door and Arora too stepped out of the cockpit.
" Air India sources revealed that another air hostess from the same flight, Chhavi Jaggarwal also deposed before the inquiry committee.
In her statement, she said: "I went inside the cockpit and Captain Ranbir Arora was furious. He told me, Amit and Komal have not wished my co-pilot, and he called both of them inside the cockpit." She added: "I was standing in the front galley and Komal and Amit entered the cockpit and the door was closed. I could hear loud noise and abusive language being used, some of which I cannot even narrate. I saw passengers trying to enter J class; so I went in the front to stop them where I found Ms Komal crying and Ms Thorpe and the engineer on board trying to console Amit." Maria Thorpe also deposed before the committee, official sources said. In her statement, she said: "I went towards the cockpit and saw the doors were flung open and the commander and co- pilot standing in the cockpit.
Capt Ranbir Arora's tie was off and he pushed the flight purser (Amit) out of the cockpit and used unparliamentary language.
Capt Ranbir Arora then pushed Komal and she fell backwards against me."
However, in her statement, Komal, who has already lodged a police complaint against the pilots on Saturday, said: "Capt Aditya Chopra ( the co-pilot) was standing at the entrance to the cockpit and kept on abusing, and Capt Ranbir Arora also came out of the cockpit. ..."
06/10/09 Ajmer Singh/India Today

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Air India Domestic Oct 2009, Foreign Oct 2009, NACIL Oct 2009, Safety Oct 2009