The Air India Express flight was flying at 37,000 feet from Dubai to Pune airport, in western India, on May 26 when the near-disaster occurred. No one was injured.
It lost 7000 feet while at 37,000 feet, in cruise. No, not a near disaster, but very uncomfortable for the passengers/paying customers.
According to the report, the nosedive was "due to the copilot adjusting his seat forward and inadvertently pressing the control column forward."
Ok, here's the hard part. How did he not know how to regain his altitude?
The plane fell 2000 feet before the captain got back into the cockpit -- and another 5000 feet as he struggled with the panicking co-pilot.
The aircraft descends, and rather than fly it back to altitude, we are told that the co-pilot panicked. If this is true (mind you, this is a media report) then why is that person in a pilot's seat hauling people about?
"There was application of opposite force by pilot and copilot on control column," the report said. It added that the copilot "probably had no clue to tackle this kind of emergency."
Not an emergency. Maybe a malfunction, in a particular
brain housing group.
"Appropriate action shall be taken against the involved crew," it concluded.
After the incident, the captain tried to calm passengers by telling them that the aircraft had hit an air pocket.
Well, one could complain that the captain lied to them, but I'll put myself in his shoes for a moment. Best not to shake the confidence of the pax any further by informing them that 50% of the cockpit crew is not up to scratch.
