Deccan pilot caught drunk while on duty

[lizardking]

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.

http://web.mid-day.com/1news/city/2006/april/134984.htm

[EatMyShorts!]

Who cares for a pilot wearing a grey and not a white shirt for work? This is his own problem or do you have a law in India that is making pilots wear a white shirt!?!?

[SLFguy]

Who cares for a pilot wearing a grey and not a white shirt for work? This is his own problem or do you have a law in India that is making pilots wear a white shirt!?!?


No but I bet the company that employs him does. :hmm:

[flash8]

A "T-Shirt" not a Shirt.

I might not be the most sartorially elegant guy in the world, but turning up to a transport jet wearing a t-shirt might be considered inappropriate to the passengers.

You even need a shirt and tie for the TR in the sim!

However, on the other front, guys flying pax in the Twotter in BC often wear shorts and a t-shirt. Heck, I'd love to be that casual.

[FlyMD]

Is "Drunk" (as expressed by Indian DGCA) an official measure of blood alcohol content? How much alcohol DID the guy have in his blood? What the F... does the DGCA care if a pilot comes to work in a T-shirt, a neoprene suit or in a Tuxedo?

The whole story smells.... of curry, or something.

[Jagbag]

I know of an expat who turned up for his License conversion viva an hour late (after being woke up) and in bathroom slippers and shorts.

The company that hired him had a lot of explaining to do....

[EatMyShorts!]

You even need a shirt and tie for the TR in the sim!
Luckily not in my company, all casual ;)

And I understand as well, that the DGAC has complained about this pilot in a t-shirt. This is NONE of their business. Crazy world!

[Charly]

:ooh: grey shirt??? PUT the airline on the black list!!! :}

[fireblade900]

Why don't airlines issue out "breath analysers" , I'm sure there are a few whom are not sure if they are on the limit or not, and it would be pointless to loose a whole life carrer for a stupid mistake, which could be obviously simply avoided by not drinking at all. But this is the real world, and if you happen to be drinking 24 hours prior to Flying, at least if you can breathalize yourself prior to checking in , this would clear your mind, the arilines, and of course all concerned.
It would of course clear off those real drunk pilots, but also give way to the unsuspecting innocent ones, whom really do not know they are over the limit.:ooh:
Well this is my 5 dollars on the point.:ok:

[Payscale]

Do you think it was absolutely nessesary to name the pilot here in this fora? ! I dont care if some abscure third world report named him, but here I had expected a code of honour among pilots...eh...you are a pilot, right?.

Maybe the pilot has a serious problem, so let the prober people deal with it, and lets not name and shame him here.

So what if he is color blind or has no fashion sense. It does nor prove the level af alchool in his blood. If I was forced to work in India I'd probably also show up in a T-shirt, just to tick them off.

[ACAV8R]

Why not simply avoid alcohol entirely? Certainly simplifies matters. Got to be the biggest waste of money, paying for bladder fodder with after-tax $$/rupees/Euros etc. :}

[Left Wing]

Expat pilot gets caught drunk ..it smells of 'curry'....local guy does the same thing its a flt safety issue ? Pls set your stds right .........

The guy was drunk or over the limit, which in India is ZERO FOR ALCOHOL, puts the 12 hr rubbish to rest.

Gery t-shirt...may he was pi$$ed off...the company had provided him only one set ....OUCH IN INDIAN SUMMER talk about low cost.

[yyzdub]

Do you think it was absolutely nessesary to name the pilot here in this fora? ! I dont care if some abscure third world report named him, but here I had expected a code of honour among pilots...eh...you are a pilot, right?.
Maybe the pilot has a serious problem, so let the prober people deal with it, and lets not name and shame him here.
So what if he is color blind or has no fashion sense. It does nor prove the level af alchool in his blood. If I was forced to work in India I'd probably also show up in a T-shirt, just to tick them off.


I hope there is no confusion here - these are two different people and are unrelated.

[Left Wing]

most airlines have a dress code to sit upfront, or even to drop in to the ops dept. we call it business attire.

Air deccan pilot = drunk
Go air pilot = no uniform (LCC)

[Bomber Harris]

Fireblade900,
I think your suggestion is very logical. There are obviously a number of sensible people who go to a party 24 hours before a flight and drink a reasonable amount; and maybe some other people who have a glass of wine with dinner the evening before an early with a 12 hour gap. In these cases you SHOULD be clear based on advice from doctors. However, there is no point being worried or nervous when it is so easy to jump into your medical center and tell the nurse you had a drink yesterday and can you have a quick blow (no jokes please!!) in the bag. You can then continue to the ops room or go sick as appropriate.

Now, it is a pilots responsibility to report for work fit and healthy. So if you go sick like this you deserve the full wrath of the personnel department e.g. letters, warnings and ultimatly dismissal for regular occurance setc. But you deal with personnel, thats the key point. This is a lot better than being illegal and risking jail.

This is a sensible suggestion that could almost illiminate people reaching the ops room on the wrong side of the BAC limit

[Huygens]

I'm not surprised. With Warwick Brady as CEO all of the staff should have a few drinks to appear for work.

[ZFT]

Slightly pedantic, but he’s COO