DGCA admits AI pilots dozed off in cockpit

Mumbai: Over a year and a half after an Air India flight overshot its destination, a right to information query filed by TOI has confirmed that both pilots had dozed off in the cockpit. The DGCA response confirms that the pilots did not react to the air traffic controllers and that the aircraft did not start descending on reaching its destination -- Mumbai. Till date, no action has been taken against the pilots as the airline continues to deny the incident.
On June 4 last year, Air India's Jaipur-Mumbai flight IC 612 did not land on reaching the city but overshot it and continued to fly south, maintaining a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet for several kilometres. It then turned back, descended and landed safely after intervention by air traffic controllers. TOI reported the incident on June 26, 2008, stating that the pilots were woken up by the Mumbai air traffic controllers.
An Air India spokesperson had called the TOI report "misleading" and denied that the aircraft overshot Mumbai due to pilots sleeping at the controls. "The pilots had temporarily lost contact with the ATC and, therefore, the aircraft had strayed 10-15 kilometres away from Mumbai," the airline's letter said.
But the DGCA response to the RTI query blows the lid off the attempted cover-up. The investigation carried out by the directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA) concluded that it was a "case of induced sleep". The matter, say aviation experts, is yet an another example of how both airlines and regulatory authorities treat such serious cases in India.
The RTI response confirms that the aircraft continued to fly south even as the air traffic controllers tried to contact the pilots using the SELCAL facility a number of times. "The exact cause could not be ascertained. However, it appears (to be a) case of induced sleep due to fatigue. Preventive measures were suggested to avoid recurrence of such incidents. Based on those, an Air Safety Circular 2 of 2009 has been issued," said the reply given by DGCA director (air safety), Bir Singh Rai. A copy of the said air safety circular was also attached to the reply.
23/12/09 Manju V/Times of India

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Categories: Air India Domestic Dec 2009, Airports Dec 2009, NACIL Dec 2009, Safety Dec 2009