The woman pilot in command of Indigo, landed the plane on its fragile nose wheel

[stiffy_pro]

On January 11, when IndiGo Airlines’ flight 6E 333 had a bumpy touchdown at Goa International Airport, it was a close brush with disaster for over 100 passengers aboard the A 320. The woman pilot in command landed the plane on its fragile nose wheel — an erroneous manoeuvre that could have even led to the flying machine disintegrating and catching fire.

Alarmingly, an inquiry conducted later by the Director General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) revealed that on 15 to 20 earlier occasions, Captain Parminder Kaur Gulati landed the aircraft at an angle indicating that the nose wheel may have touched the tarmac first. This is unheard of in aviation circles. Aircraft normally land on the main landing gear ( MLG), comprising the two sets of rear wheels. After these bigger — and sturdier — wheels touch the runway, the speed of the plane is reduced. This is followed by the already opened nose landing gear ( NLG) — the smaller front wheel just below the cockpit of the aircraft — coming in contact with the surface.

Flight 6E 333 took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and was bound for Goa. Abhas Gupta was Gulati’s copilot aboard the aircraft. Captain Gulati appeared to have been so oblivious to the abnormal and highly risky touchdown at the Goa International Airport that she just reported the incident as a “rough landing”. Not only did the steep descent leave the passengers’ hearts in their mouths, it went against the recommendations of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, too. This was not the end of the matter.

After the rough landing in Goa, Gulati and the engineer concerned merely carried out an inspection of the aircraft and reported that everything was normal. The airbus was, therefore, cleared to fly back to Delhi. The Indigo flight 6E 332 — with passengers on board — started its return journey to Delhi. But midway through, the plane’s electronic systems signalled a problem in the landing gear. The warning related to the nose undercarriage being internally damaged.

The electronic signal that flashed in the cockpit showed that the landing gear didn’t retract because it was stuck in the “ down position”. The Indigo aircraft had to then return to Goa to offload the passengers. Later, it took off from Goa without the passengers and landed at IGI Airport. The combined probe carried out by the DGCA, Airbus and IndiGo confirmed that the aircraft had landed on the NLG first, followed by the MLG. “This is a non- conventional landing,” the report accessed by M AIL T ODAY said.

Gulati’s flying history came under the scanner of the investigators. An analysis of the digital flight data recorder ( DFDR) of the aircraft she previously flew pointed out that in her 15- 20 earlier landings the ‘ touchdown attitude’ was 3.8 degrees, which went against the recommended attitude of 5.8 degrees. Though within the safety zone, this increased the chances of the nose wheel touching first, the report stated.

The standard glide angle followed by an aircraft during descent is 3 degrees and the nose of the aircraft should be at 2.5 degrees at the horizon level. Just before touchdown, the latter is increased to 5 degrees. However, in the IndiGo flight’s case, the pilot gave a negative pitch attitude and reduced the angle to 3.8 degrees resulting in the aircraft landing on the NLG. The report disclosed that the auto pilot was disconnected at 311 feet above ground level. At 100 feet, the captain gave a pitch- up command to ensure that the MLG touched the runway first.

“At the last moment (around 10- 20 feet), the captain gave a nose- down input. This resulted in a negative pitch attitude during touchdown,” the document revealed. The regulator (DGCA) and the investigation board recommended that the pilot should be sent on correctional training. IndiGo CEO Aditya Ghosh admitted that the pilot had landed the aircraft on its nose wheel. He further claimed that all the recommendations made by IndiGo pertaining to the incident had been accepted by the DGCA.

“Indigo conducted an investigation and the inquiry board recommended that the captain should be sent on training to correct her landing technique. She was also advised to undertake a cockpit resource management refresher course as well as a route check. She has already undergone these procedures,” Ghosh said.

Significantly, the lady captain has earlier been counselled for a serious error in the go- around approach during a landing at the IGI Airport. Commenting on the incident, aviation expert Captain A. Ranganathan said: “The nose wheel can’t take the impact of landing. The pilot’s landing on the plane’s nose could have led to serious consequences. The episode shows there was a deficiency in training.” Former DGCA Kanu Gohain also felt that it was a very serious incident since the NLG is the weakest part of the aircraft and not designed to handle its landing weight. For the passengers, it was nothing less than a miraculous escape.

[Speedbird1014]

just cannot believe that some commander can possibly do this, how hard is to pull back on the side stick, either there is something seriously wrong with this pilot or the news is not accurate.

[dirtybungs]

too young. too young.

This is what happened if you gave commands at very early age. The minimum should be at least 26 years old.

Doesnt mean that you're 22 years old but amassed thousands flying hours, you're ready for your command. You may have a commander pedigree but certain things in life,especially split second decision does not necessarily come with relevant experience.

26 to 35 years old with similar flying hours might have more life experiences that maybe useful when making decisions. The quick decisions.

experiences are gained not bought.

[LOFT]

@Dirtybungs

Buddy whatever made you arrive at the conclusion of the magic number "26" for a command upgrade (especially when you are still under training for your commercial licence), but Mrs. Parminder is a good 38 yrs old and she has been flying for quite sometime now. May be that should make her a perfect captain in your opinion then.

There is no age to make mistakes, just as there is no age to start learning. And aviation is one sector where it is easier to loose proficiency and become complacent. I am glad that nothing major happened, the problem was diagnosed and corrective training imparted.

@speedbird1014

Heya Miss Speedbird, how is it going? A Very Happy Valentine's Day to ya!!!

LOFT :ok:

[poker_pilot]

always agreed to that saying """ you don't get grey hairs for nothing"""

[AviatorVette]

I dont wanna say something sexist, lol.

[sunny441]

I dont wanna say something sexist, lol.

I think the title of the thread is sexist enough

[estranged soul]

The standard glide angle followed by an aircraft during descent is 3 degrees and the nose of the aircraft should be at 2.5 degrees at the horizon level. Just before touchdown, the latter is increased to 5 degrees. However, in the IndiGo flight’s case, the pilot gave a negative pitch attitude and reduced the angle to 3.8 degrees resulting in the aircraft landing on the NLG. The report disclosed that the auto pilot was disconnected at 311 feet above ground level. At 100 feet, the captain gave a pitch- up command to ensure that the MLG touched the runway first.


Wow .. and here us idiotic pilots are sent by our companies for training to Boeing/Airbus facilities spending millions of $$$ !

Why cant the chaps in management simply get hold of some genius news reporters like this one above to impart training ?

They obviously know how to do all the flight planing, engine out stuff, total AC failure, rapid depressurization drills, landing in severe crosswinds .. the works !

[Speedbird1014]

happy valentines to you too, but just for the record, i am not gay.... ;)

[LOFT]

Jeeeezz .. i guess i mistook you for somebody else, but nevermind i am not gay either. haha :p

[Speedbird1014]

hahaha, thats ok, getting back to topic, at first it really seems hard to believe that a 38 year old commander (i am assuming she is accordingly experienced), can do such a mistake that even trainee pilots dont do.

It amazes me even more how did she even made it to the left seat, even after repeated nosewheel landings, why did not airlines took note of this earlier..!!

[ElitePilot]

Theres got to be more to this you've got to put a significant forward stick to touch nosewheel first even for a flaps 3?!? :eek:

[DoubtingThomas]

Hey, girl's got a technique that works for her. Leave her alone!

[piratepete]

Well we all know the "normal" landing technique, as laid out in the relative FCTM of either Airbus or Boeing.However, there are other methods used by many many individual pilots, even being endorsed by company policy, amazing as it may seem!.Here are one or two that ive encountered in my travels.

INDONESIA
Almost with out exception, when I was with one outfit in Jakarta, all the Captains would fly normally to about 50 feet then your guts would feel empty as they poked the nose down abruptly, then use the "extra" runway available to make a nice smooth touchdown and the first turnoff.......

ETHIOPIA
Almost without exception the locals there use a non-boeing method, of flying normally to about 30 feet then start adding lots and lots POWER throughout the flare.......Addis is nearly 8000amsl, but a large jet will not land with a lot of power on....when asked why they employ this method, the answer is "smooth landing".......the fact they landed 3000 feet in, and the overrun is a steep ravine doesnt seem to bother them.AMAZING!!!

[Tee Emm]

then start adding lots and lots POWER throughout the flare......

Have observed this technique in the 737 simulator. In other words the pilot gives a sudden burst of power right at the flare. When asked they say it "helps" the flare manoeuvre. It may have stemmed from some who flew the Boeing 727 where I am told that it was a commonly held belief that it made for smoother touch downs.

Either way it is a poor technique and can have a major effect on landing distance caused by the extra float. At the same time it is amazing the number of pilots who hit the runway still with 60 percent N1 because they forgot to fully close the thrust levers at the flare.

Or they flared much too late and bashed the runway with the thrust levers still open. Then they wonder why they fight the interlocks for the reversers when the thrust levers are still open.:mad:

[VH DSJ]

Back in the days when I was flight instructing, I never released any pre-solo students for solo unless they could land properly on the main wheels. Students who landed three wheels or nose wheel first were never released for solo. This was how it was back then. Landing on the main wheels is something that you learn as a pilot right from your pre-solo days. :rolleyes:

[Speedbird1014]

Back in the days when I was flight instructing, I never released any pre-solo students for solo unless they could land properly on the main wheels. Students who landed three wheels or nose wheel first were never released for solo. This was how it was back then. Landing on the main wheels is something that you learn as a pilot right from your pre-solo days.

Thats the way it should be, back when i was under training i always landed on the main wheels, still failed the solo check twice because of unstabilized approach or not able to maintain speed within +/- 5 knots, and only when my landings were acceptable enough, i got my solo.

This is really something thats been taught in very initial days of your flying career. :ooh:

[cyrilroy21]

Hmmmm.....

I wonder if it has something to do with flying an Airbus :E

[A69]

Hmmmm.....

I wonder if it has something to do with flying an Airbus http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/evil.gif

i'm wondering the same...:cool:

[Dragon 83]

Having flown military fast jets, helos, transports and commercial Boeings and Airbus past 18 yrs--- landing is conventional on all aircraft---mains first, surprised by comments thinking otherwise.

There is a de-rotation procedure utilized on widebody Airbus only after mains touchdown to allow smoother touchdown of forward wheels on the truck bogie.

[Boeing7xx]

quite surprised at this. The f/o in question used to be our AME at Alliance Air, and then went on to be an AME on 320s for Kingfisher & Indigo before joining the Indigo Cadet Program and became a pilot. I think he started flying 3-4 months ago.

Each of them has at least 7-8 years experience with the planes before they actually became pilots. A little strange that they got this hard knock.

[Dan Winterland]

I assume the Airbus comment is in relation to the landing law where a small nose down pitch is commanded in the last stages of the flare to make the pilot apply a nose up movement which makes the landing seem more like a conventionally controlled aircraft. I doubt this was a factor as the A320 does feel fairly conventional in pitch in my experience of about 2000 landings on it. I have however, seen a colleague land a 747 nosewheel first and this was due to a combination of factors, the main one being poor technique.

[condorbaaz]

Happens on a bad day...

But talking about Flare Law, the slight pitch down will become significant if the stick is held loose /left free at flare. That could cause this.

Having said this, The best trained pilots do have Landing accidents.

Nothing little retraining can,t cure..

Give the girl a break..Must be difficult having your name spread all over the press. Consider the impact on her kids n family...

[nitpicker330]

Not surprised to read this incident after reading other threads on this site.

This one in particular http://www.pprune.org/south-asia-far-east/438667-21-year-old-girl-youngest-atr-captain.html

I'm sorry to say but standby for more and more incidents from Indian Airlines........

Why is this person in charge of a 80 tonne Jet with 160 pax down the back if she doesn't understand the basics of how to land!!

[Sky Dancer]

She seems lucky enough to have her job:ok:

[Jibu]

this news is correct she should be fired for doing such a bllunder

[nikhilheb]

How a wrong landing technique is discovered AFTER she becomes a commander completely baffles me!

[leftseatview]

A lot of training capts lacking experience(on Type) themselves.... and in a tearing hurry to become TRIs and TREs.
The whole ball game revolves around experience on type.
And Command training/evaluation is not about testing someones ability to reproduce verbatim line and verse from the "book".... with not too many ideas of how to bring it all together.

[zlato]

As far as command goes i am sure there are very very good reasons to have to be age limits in place as also requirements of total hours and mimimum hours on type.
In some places the only thing that is looked at is 'the minimum' required for everything/not necessarily the proficiency
having the ATP is of prime impotance to transfer seats we all know,but proficiency is no less a factor,probably practically of more significance!!

as long as the criteria is being met as far as paperwork is concerned,u r thru.And thats why there are records of sorts...
youngest capt,youngest chk pilot,tri,tre!!
so if its really any achievement as viewed against older capts touching down with NLG. maybe in the latter case she just got older with the same level of proficiency that she got her command with...like someone said...maybe just a bad day!
debate is open

[Sky Dancer]

You are right about that.Becoming a Captain or a good pilot for that matter is not about reading books and learning verbatim.It's about many factors put together.What baffles me in this report is that it seems that she had been consistently repeating the same mistake over time but it went undetected or unreported.Why ?That to me speaks a lot about the airline's monitoring and control procedures.:ok:

[Touch'n'oops]

While flying the A320 and A321, I've seen lands similar to this just not with the same outcome.

What I noticed, especially with Flap FULL landings, is that some guys upon hitting ground effect at around 10 feet, stick the nose over hard so as not to float and then rotate back the other way for the touchdown. In my opinion, a couple of times we have been close to having a nose gear touchdown. This is most notable with very light loads.
In fact there was an incident that a MALE first officer did this and ended up severely damaging the nose gear to the extent that it had to be replaced.

Final note, WHO GIVES A :mad: IF A WOMAN PILOT DID IT OR NOT??!!
IF the day comes when it is ONLY women pilots bending aircraft, then yes it might be appropriate. However, I have flown with 8 different female captains in my career and NONE of them are anywhere near the top of my 'Hell if I'll fly with him/her" list.

And no, I'm not female. Now grow the :mad: up!

[rdr]

Touch&oops, suggest you try the missionary position once.

[Touch'n'oops]

Nah... I could never be so half cooked!

[leftseatview]

if you find yourself floating just a few inches off the ground(after thrust lever retard) try putting one wing down(into wind preferably...and you might need opposite rudder to continue tracking the centreline) it works like a charm ,and much better than a stick forward de-rotate.
For those of you likley to take umburage please refer to a/c pitch vs bank graph for ground contact(a lot of bank before something other than the main wheels touch ground)
And no dont try this at circuit altitude...becase that could lead to a spin in a degraded control law....and you are unlikely to be familiar as to how to recover from that situation

[sunny441]

First thing that came to my mind after reading this news

Passenger refuses to fly with woman pilot - Trends News - IBNLive (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/woman-pilot-wont-fly/144393-19.html)

[Prisoner Number 320]

Apparently, the passengers are becoming wiser….

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) A Mumbai-bound IndiGo flight was delayed by more than one and half hours first due to fog and then by a passenger who refused to fly on a plane being piloted by a woman.
Indigo flight 6E 179, which was supposed to depart at around 8 AM, could not take off due to fog.
And when the weather cleared and the plane was about to take off, a middle-aged man, Pramod Ambalekar objected to the flight being commandeered by a woman, airport sources said.
He called the airhostesses and objected to a woman pilot. The man relented only after he was told that he would be taken off the plane with his check-in baggage.
According to sources, the man had a fight with his wife and so objected to a woman pilot flying an aircraft.
The airline, in a statement, said the passenger flying by 6E 179 was asked to deboard by the airline security staff after he "misbehaved and showed disrespect to our crew members".

[Windaroo]

Is this the same lady

Deccan Chronicle - Indian Regional News & World news (http://www.deccanchronicle.com)

[poker_pilot]

At the end of the day all this summarizes to one thing, "AGE FACTOR"

A commander of an a/c should be not only given to a person with alot of hours and knowledge, they also have to consider the age also because if you take a look at all the ridiculous incidents it all has to to do with captains who are very young at age which inversely effects the what they do in immediate situations....because @ the end of the day being pilots .... AGE=WISDOM=RIGHT DECISION
:D

[411A]

IndiGo upgrade policy is as follows: ATPL + Pulse = Upgrade. This is the case in most new Indian carriers I suspect. This Captain is not the weakest in the ranks, so I'm afraid there will be quite a few of these incidents to come in the near future. There is no substitute for experience.

Well, there could be.
A few steel girders for extra bracing on the nose gear, and presto....problem solved.:}

[sunnyjet]

poker pilot, I disagree, it is to do with TRAINING more than the AGE FACTOR. I never ever landed nose gear down first, not even in my first few flights. My instructor scared the hell out of me, said there would not be a second flight with him if I ever did that.

[poker_pilot]

Do Not Forget The Duct Tape.....lol

[poker_pilot]

At The End Training Does Little To A Situation That Needs An Immediate Solution.....take For Example The Nose Incident When Ur 10 Feet Above Touchdown And Floating You Would Be Tipping The Nose Over Or An Engine Failiure The First Thing Would Not Be Ur Training Which Would Only Add To 10% Of The Situation But Being Young And As A Commander You Would ,,,, I Dont Want To Burst The Bubble But , sh..t Ur Self........