The male pilot and female co-pilot of Jet Airways flight 9W 119 from London to Mumbai got into a fight on New Years Day. He slapped her. She reportedly left the cockpit ‘sobbing’. He repeatedly called crew asking them to send her back. And then things got worse,
“After a while, the commander came out of the cockpit, leaving it unmanned and the plane on autopilot, which is a major safety hazard,” said a source, who is not authorised to speak to the media.
…The commander, however, came and persuaded the co-pilot to get back. But she came out of the cockpit again in an emotional state, added the source. Cabin crew managed to persuade her again to return to the cockpit.
Copyright: boarding1now / 123RF Stock Photo
The plane had 324 passengers and 14 crewm onboard. Jet Airways confirms the ‘misunderstanding’ in the cockpit and according to India’s Director General of Civil Aviation, the female co-pilot’s license has been suspended, and according to the airline “concerned crew ha[ve] been taken off flying duties” pending investigation.
DGCA has taken the incident seriously and ordered an investigation. “We have ordered an investigation and pending that, the DGCA has suspended the privileges of the (female) co-pilot’s licence,” BS Bhullar, director general of civil aviation, told ET.
Usually it’s Air India pilots behaving badly not Jet Airways cockpit crew.
And lest anyone think ‘this could only happen with an Indian airline’ remember that United Express scrubbed a flight after its two pilots got into a fight. It’s common enough that there’s even a ‘do not pair’ procedure for pilots who can’t get along.
Pilots behave badly in other ways, too, like when United had to cancel a flight because two pilots showed up drunk to fly. In fact United pilots have been arrested for pimping and for botching the castration of a transgender woman.
(HT: @GodSaveThePoints)
Umm, why was HER license suspended? Did he get reprimanded for slapping her?
Yeah…why was she the one suspended? BTW, that “do not pair” thing isn’t always honored, especially with some regionals.
DGCA probably followed examples and recommendation from trump, republicans, and the religious right on whose license to revoke.
Actually, both pilots are suspended. They are both commanders where as for the current flight, the female pilot was the commander and the male pilot was the first officer. Here’s more detailed information from Times of India:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/jet-grounds-two-senior-pilots-for-fighting-in-cockpit-of-london-mumbai-flight/articleshow/62354429.cms
Reminds me of zero tolerance policies in schools. Not sure why the two would get equal punishment when the male officer is the only one who committed physical violence. Male privilege, I guess.
Even to the commenters, with no real information, it must be the man’s fault. Sad time to be a man.
Where did the said slapping occur, on her person
The problem with news curation is that it oftentimes leads to commenters jumping in without actually knowing the whole story.
SadStateofOurCountry…….
You name says it all.
This is a blog about air travel, but you and your ilk tie everything you say and write to your political thoughts.
Please…..you lost the election and Mr. Trump will be President for another 3 years (at least)…..get over it.
Go get your pacifier and go into the closet and shut the door..
@cat because she left the cockpit and put the entire plane at risk. They both actually left the cockpit and it was totally unattended so therefore both of their licenses were suspended.
There is a lot of confusion around this. Including many blogs assuming the woman was the co-pilot just because she was a woman. According to Indian newspaper sources the Woman was the pilot and the man was the co-pilot and it is the co-pilots license which is cancelled by DGCA(for physical violence) while both are suspended by Jet due to violating safety rules.
Incidentally British Tabloids report both are married or in a relationship so it seems this was a domestic dispute brought to the workplace.
Even commentors trying to criticize the man show their unconscious bias by assuming the man must have been the pilot and the woman the co-pilot automatically.
I think she was suspended because she left the cockpit, irrespective of that fight she should have not left the cockpit, she can put 300+ passenger’s lives at stake for her petty fight for whatever it may be.