In a surprise check last morning, an Air Deccan pilot was caught drunk when he reported for duty. A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) safety team held Captain N Ronaldo (48), a South American, guilty for coming drunk to work.
The DGCA carried out a check on 350 cabin and cockpit crew of 40 flights (both domestic and international) leaving Mumbai between 3 am and 8.30 am. Ronaldo has been barred from flying till an official inquiry is conducted.
“Captain Ronaldo was scheduled to pilot flight DN 641 to Kolkata, carrying 180 passengers. But he arrived drunk and our breath analyser results tested positive for alcohol,” said a senior DGCA official.
The pilot, however, claimed he had a drink more than 24 hours before the tests were conducted. “It is difficult to say when he consumed the alcohol, but we know he was drunk when he reported for duty,” said the DGCA official. Meanwhile, an Air Deccan spokesperson from Bangalore claimed she was not aware of the pilot being de-rostered.
P Shaw, director (air safety), Western region, too declined to confirm if any pilot was caught drunk on duty. A top DGCA official from Delhi told MiD DAY that similar checks were conducted at airports in all metros. “The complete details of this check will be available tomorrow,” he added.
“Apart from alcohol tests, we also checked for other irregularities in crewmembers. We found a Go Air pilot reporting in a grey T-shirt. When asked about his uniform he said the company had provided him only one set, which is in the laundry,” the DGCA official said. The pilot was let off with a warning.
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