AI-737 plunged 5,000 ft during Dubai-Pune flight

An Air India Express Boeing 737, on a Dubai-Pune flight last Wednesday, plunged over 5,000 feet risking the lives of 112 passengers.
The incident is being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and both the commander and co-pilot have been de-rostered.
While the probe is under way, preliminary information suggests that the co-pilot allegedly made an "unauthorised and uncontrolled'' descent.
According to sources, the commander was in the toilet and the co-pilot was in control when the plane dropped altitude. "..When the commander of the Pune flight pressed this button after returning from the toilet, there was allegedly no response from inside.
The commander had to press an emergency code on the button to unlock the door. When he entered, he saw caution lights flashing on the flight control panel," an airline source said. The commander is reported to have filed an operational incident report with the airline higher-ups.According to a DGCA official, the descent was not the result of turbulent weather. "An investigation is on and we are recording the crew's statements.
"When a plane descends following an ATC okay, it is called a controlled descent. In this case, however, it seems the co-pilot did an unauthorised descent. This is called altitude bust and is dangerous as he may be unaware of traffic in the skies.
The co-pilot may have descended the plane using the vertical speed mode. "In this procedure, a pilot can key in both the desired altitude and the rate of descent.
01/06/10 Aneesh Phadnis/Mumbai Mirror

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