Air India pilots suspended for leaving cabin crew in charge of plane while they slept in business class

Two Air India pilots have been suspended after reporting to leave a plane on autopilot in the hands of cabin crew while they slept in business class.

The pilots left the cockpit for 40 minutes while they had a nap, leaving two flight attendants in charge of flying the plane who accidentally turned off the autopilot, The Times of India reports.

The two pilots are reported to have rushed back from their seats to steer the plane back to safety once they realised the auto-pilot had been turned off.

An Air India source said the crew members’ actions “made a mockery of air safety”.

“It is standard procedure to ensure the presence of a second person in the cockpit if the pilot is not able to operate the aircraft. But what actually happened after this made a mockery of air safety,” the source told The Times of India.

The four crew members on the Bangkok to Delhi flight have been suspended, and Air India has admitted in a statement today that there was “over stay of the cabin crew in the cockpit”.

However, it claims it was the co-pilot not the cabin crew who switched off the auto-pilot, saying “due to distraction, the co-pilot touched the auto pilot disconnect button momentarily. But the same was connected back.”

An inquiry about the incident is now being conducted by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGVA). Arun Mishra, director general of DGVA, said: “Following a safety violation, the airline has already suspended the people in question. We are conducting an inquiry into the matter.”

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/air-india-pilots-suspended-for-leaving-cabin-crew-in-charge-of-plane-while-they-slept-in-business-class-8603075.html 2013-05-03

Flight attendant 1 : What is this button, do you think it's an issue if I push it.

Flight attendant 2 : Stay clear of that button ( imagine the wobble head at the same time )

oops I have switched off the auto piltot

The pilots realized the auto-pilot had been turned off in their sleep?

Exactly why I don't fly Air India.

Exactly why I don't fly Air India.

Imagine the sense of adventure you get for free flying Air India

Goodness gracious me.

The important thing is why woukd the pilots feel the need for a nap on a morning fliight after having had. Full night's rst in Bangkok ? Were they out partying in town the night before ? Also, it seems very bizarre that they had no fear of the danger to their own lives that they could hand over the plane to stewardesses... There has to be more to this story than we know... Extremely rash and stupid thing to do by any pilot... Something does not add up...

Air India new marketing slogan,

"Fly Air India... Hours of sheer boredom broken up by moments of sheer terror!!!!!"

This was an incredibly dumb act (based on information so far). It endangered the pilots as much as anyone else. For both to be willing to leave the cockpit, move to business class, and then sleep with the plane on auto suggests a near suicidal quantity of stupidity. Unless two of the three stooges were flying the plane there must be more to this story.

Absolute rubbish to even suggest that BOTH pilots left the cockpit to take a nap. Overcrowding a cockpit by cabin crew does happen, and not just at Air India . I don't believe a word of this.

I'd rather them have a nap than fly tired. Sorta.

One more airline for my blacklist...hang on they were on it already.

"“due to distraction, the co-pilot touched the auto pilot disconnect button momentarily. But the same was connected back.”"

auto pilot disengage switch requires pulling up and out to disengage, not just hitting a button

Wonder what the Co pilots distraction with the cabin crew was?

Could it have been pulling out something other than the auto pilot button?

Whatever it is it should be enough to keep you lot moaning for at least another 24 hours. 555

Like watching loose women reading this forum sometimes.

Absolute rubbish to even suggest that BOTH pilots left the cockpit to take a nap. Overcrowding a cockpit by cabin crew does happen, and not just at Air India . I don't believe a word of this.

From pprune, slightly more credible, but still scary:-

The inside dope. F/o on toilet break. As per SOP one C/C called in but invited to take P2 seat. Shortly after second C/c walks in , incredibly offered the P1 seat. Capt standing and teaching them how to fly a A-321 at 33000 ft. F/O comes back from toilet and all resume normal duties.
Insiders say the F/O reported the matter to Flight Safety on arrival at DEL.
Capt Soni and the two c/c are under suspension.

Absolute rubbish to even suggest that BOTH pilots left the cockpit to take a nap. Overcrowding a cockpit by cabin crew does happen, and not just at Air India . I don't believe a word of this.

I tend to agree and why would cabin crew enter the vacant cockpit (or was the navigator still present), even locate the autopilot button and then shut it off. Or was this payback as a sense of being pissed off at sleeping pilots. Too many questions at this point to believe the stupidity of the act. Similarly why suspend the cabin crew? They 'appear' to have got the pilots back in the chair.

No need for terrorists with this lot!

An off-topic post deleted. This is not about Thai politics.

Odd thought planes now a day could fly and even land without the need for a pilot..?

Maybe the question is why is it so easy to accidently disconnect the auto pilot ?

watching for years on TV.. Air crash investigations, most accidents or a high percent are pilot or co pilot error.

It must be serious if they have suspended the crew. Bloody hell.

Admit it Captain, noone was sleeping - there was hanky panky going on in the cockpit.

Reminds me of how a bunch of Indian pilots last year were found to have bought their pilot licenses rather than waiting to get properly qualified.

"“due to distraction, the co-pilot touched the auto pilot disconnect button momentarily. But the same was connected back.”"

auto pilot disengage switch requires pulling up and out to disengage, not just hitting a button

maybe distracted by the flight attendent

The pilots realized the auto-pilot had been turned off in their sleep?

Possibly the screams of passengers as the plane started plummeting woke them.

there was an overstay by the cabin crew in the cockpit !! Yeah of course ! And only suspended, that means more caabin crew could be flying sooooon!!

Post containing inappropriate language removed.

Odd thought planes now a day could fly and even land without the need for a pilot..?

Maybe the question is why is it so easy to accidently disconnect the auto pilot ?

watching for years on TV.. Air crash investigations, most accidents or a high percent are pilot or co pilot error.

"watching for years on TV"

Coincidentally, that's how so many ThaiVisa posters are able to critique Thai police procedures and investigative technique ... watching many years of The Mod Squad or Charlie's Angels.

In 2010 a number of Indian pilots were found to have fake licenses, while in March this year a UN report said India was among the worst 13 countries on the world for air safety.

source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10035990/Air-India-pilot-left-hostesses-in-cockpit-while-he-slept-in-business-class.html