Kuwait Airways flight takes wrong turn, flies over no-fly zone in Delhi

[Airbubba]

From the Kuwait News Agency site:

Kuwait Airways flight takes wrong turn, flies over no-fly zone in Delhi

CMS-INDIA-KAC-SECURITY BREACH
Kuwait Airways flight takes wrong turn, flies over no-fly zone in Delhi

NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- A Kuwait Airways airplane (Delhi-Kuwait flight), after taking off from Indira Gandhi International airport at Delhi, took a left turn instead of right and headed to the no-fly zone over the Indian Capital Monday.

The plane was brought back on course 'in time.' The plane was heading in the direction of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence before it was intercepted, leading English News Channel NDTV 24 x 7 reported today.

An enquiry has been ordered into the matter, officials in the Indian government told KUNA here today.

The Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Delhi aiport directed the pilot to turn right and chart a course towards Kuwait. Instead, the pilot turned left towards the protected zone. As soon as the plane took the wrong turn, the security forces and the ATC noticed the deviation and the plane was put back on course, the officials said.

Indian Cabinet Secretary BK Chaturvedi will meet the National Crises Management Committee Monday afternoon to review the breach of security, they added.

A meeting has also been called by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation to discuss the issue.

On Sunday, Indian airports were put on high alert for the next few days after a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official received an email from India that Europe or US-bound planes from India could be hijacked.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=921607

[ManaAdaSystem]

Lucky as the Indians have various items designed to shoot down aircraft flying over just that Prohibited airspace just north of the approach to 27/28.

Lucky as they were flying out of DEL. Had this happened during approach, chances are they would still be there. Ask Lufthansa, they know all about this.

May I suggest that this particular crew avoid India for the next 5 to 10 years?

[MrVisitor]

Maybe the airlines have started taking on crews who don't know left from right.

Does it say anywhere how it was turned back?

Did they just say "Oops, wrong way" and that was it, or was it more of a perceived threat?

[Trentino]

Years Back during the evening rush at JFK I noticed a Kuwaiti 777 make a sharp right from 31L(the Kennedy 9 is a left turn)after departure, having seen this my paranoid mind went right to 'uh oh what now!'

Departure was typically NewYork about it all....

Departure: Kuwaiti 102 WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!!!!

KUWAITI 102: EHHH AHHH.....STANDBY...... OH!! SORRY WE ARE CORRECTING

A nice roll back to the left and all was okay....

maybe the culprit in India was the guy from Kennedy?

[divinesoul]

Hi

all the english TV news channels in India were reporting that the a/c had entered no fly zone yesterday morning but today they are reporting that the a/c did not enter the no fly zone but was directed to take corrective action after wrongly heading towards the no fly zone.

how fast the news channels change their story.:ugh:

anyways what a coincidence i will be flying out of india with kuwait airways.

Hope the pilot doesnt screw up because i will be watching his every move:} :}

[Aeronotix]

To add to the confusion, Indian authorities attribute this incident due to a lack of understanding of the english language by the pilot. They expect us to believe that a Capt flying international routes does not know left from right, port from starboard, something taught at the fundamental SPL level. Wonder what the next excuse would be. What a laugh!

Aeronotix.

[Airbubba]

To add to the confusion, Indian authorities attribute this incident due to a lack of understanding of the english language by the pilot. They expect us to believe that a Capt flying international routes does not know left from right, port from starboard, something taught at the fundamental SPL level.

Well the local accent in DEL is hard for many of us to understand. As you know, the Punjabis make fun of the way Keralites speak, we have similar different regional dialects in the U.S. I've had problems in the UK understanding a controller with a Fen accent. If I get those yankee boys at JFK and EWR to slow down, I can understand some of what they say.:)

The Kuwaitis have been flying to DEL for decades, unless the captain was a newly hired expat, he would have been to DEL many times.

Many U.S. pilots would not know port from starboard if they did not have some nautical background, I doubt if those words are in any FAA publications. Of course, hopefully they would know left from right...

[the dean]

Many U.S. pilots would not know port from starboard if they did not have some nautical background, I doubt if those words are in any FAA publications. Of course, hopefully they would know left from right...


port and starboard has long since gone from JAAland and i presume from FAAland....


now its only LEFT and RIGHT ( the other left )...!!!!:} :}

[Intruder]

To add to the confusion, Indian authorities attribute this incident due to a lack of understanding of the english language by the pilot. They expect us to believe that a Capt flying international routes does not know left from right

At ICN it's often hard to tell reft from light when being directed to one of the 15s or 33s (and I'm not joking!).

[Al Fakhem]

"a left turn instead of right and headed to the no-fly zone over the Indian Capital Monday."

Indian Capital Monday - Why has it moved? I thought that it was New Delhi. Thats progress - be careful Man Friday.


They do have a thing about changing the names of cities in India, usually just by one or two letters. But this is a BIG one indeed :ok:

[thinkingpilot]

just a thought but the most often used rw in del is 28 with a left turn out!!from rarely used 10 (used by kuwait) a RIGHT turn !maybe the kuwait capt was just habituated and turned left which would take him into the prohibited area:8 ?? !!

[barit1]

Let us not forget this one. (http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19970926-0&lang=en) :eek:

[WHBM]

"a left turn instead of right and headed to the no-fly zone over the Indian Capital Monday."
Indian Capital Monday - Why has it moved? I thought that it was New Delhi. Thats progress - be careful Man Friday.
American standards of journalism English. Sometimes you would think that there was a tax on prepositions.

[Airbubba]

American standards of journalism English

The Kuwaitis use British English in the press release. The airport is in Delhi, the capital is in New Delhi, both part of the National Capitol Territory (NCT). That is a hard concept for some folks to grasp I suppose...

[matt_hooks]

The Kuwaitis use British English in the press release. The airport is in Delhi, the capital is in New Delhi, both part of the National Capitol Territory (NCT). That is a hard concept for some folks to grasp I suppose...

I think you might have missed the intended point bubba.

It would have been clearer, and more correct, to write

a left turn instead of right and headed to the no-fly zone over the Indian Capital ONMonday.

The on being the preposition referred to.

This is sheer laziness regarding the correct use of English. Of course we all know that the American version of the language is so far removed from British English to almost class as a whole separate language.

As for turning left/right, I know quite a few Kuwaiti's and to a man they speak English as well as I do. (These are Kuwaiti airline sponsored pilot trainees)

[ve3id]

Well the local accent in DEL is hard for many of us to understand. As you know, the Punjabis make fun of the way Keralites speak, we have similar different regional dialects in the U.S. I've had problems in the UK understanding a controller with a Fen accent. If I get those yankee boys at JFK and EWR to slow down, I can understand some of what they say.:)
The Kuwaitis have been flying to DEL for decades, unless the captain was a newly hired expat, he would have been to DEL many times.
Many U.S. pilots would not know port from starboard if they did not have some nautical background, I doubt if those words are in any FAA publications. Of course, hopefully they would know left from right...


I seem to remember the RCAF had a very good way of remembering the association between PORT and LEFT, for use when doing joint ops with the navy,

You just remember why you went flying, there was NO PORT LEFT!

cheers,
ve3id

[con-pilot]

If anyone cares, originally it was "larboarded and starboarded".

Changed for very obvious reasons.