Air India Express plunges when co-pilot adjusts his seat!

[RealScenery]

Now here's something you don't read about everyday...

The co-pilot of an Air India Express 737 sent the jetliner into a terrifying 7,000-foot plunge in May when he accidentally hit the control column while adjusting his seat, investigators report.

According to the report from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the co-pilot panicked and was unable to execute the proper procedures as the jetliner dropped from 37,000 feet at a 26-degree angle. The plane and its 113 passengers were saved when the pilot, who’d gone on a bathroom break, used an emergency code to get into the locked cockpit, jumped back into his seat and grabbed the controls to bring the plummeting plane out of its dive.

The aircraft would have broken apart if the descent had continued, the aviation agency report said. The aircraft was not damaged and no one was injured, the report said.

After the pilot, 39, regained control of the plane, he told passengers, who were in the middle of a meal when the jet plunged, that the plane had “went through an air pocket and that is why there was a rapid descent,” according to the report.

The aviation agency report concluded that the 25-year-old co-pilot had not been trained in the specific scenario the jet encountered and “probably had no clue to tackle this kind of emergency.”

Neither the pilot nor co-pilot were named in the report.

The Air India Express flight was en route from Dubai to Pune, India when the incident occurred.

[Goran_M]

Common sense can be a wonderful gift.

Adjust the seat when you SIT IN IT.  Not at 37 000 feet!

[MaidenFan]

Couldn't he just bring the nose up carefully?

[Airbus]

Couldn't he just bring the nose up carefully?

Yeah, but.

The aviation agency report concluded that the 25-year-old co-pilot had not been trained in the specific scenario the jet encountered and “probably had no clue to tackle this kind of emergency.”

Seems like he may have panicked too.

[samen]

Dear Panicking,

GO TO HELL!!

Love

samen

[Lukasz]

50 Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You

http://www.rd.com/home-garden/50-secrets-your-pilot-wont-tell-you/article186583.html

[Jack Skieczius]

50 Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You

http://www.rd.com/home-garden/50-secrets-your-pilot-wont-tell-you/article186583.html

That was an awesome link lis. thanks

[eaglewing7]

How on earth does this guy get a commercial pilot licence, and not know how to recover any aircraft from a dive? 

Is it really rocket science?

[Oliver]

Granted, I'm sure he panicked terribly from what was happening, but I think a good part of the blame should be put on Air India (or their subsidiary) for not giving enough training to a guy that is flying a fully loaded 737...

[eaglewing7]

I can completely understand the fear, but letting your fear get to the stage in which it completely cripples your ability to do anything about the fact your watching your aircraft plunge towards the earth is frightening.

Again I say this, he should have some knowledge of how to recover any aircraft from a descent or dive.  You should learn about that getting your PPL.  This lack of training garbage is just that, garbage, peddled by Air India Express to try and cover their pilot.  I'm actually quite surprised that they are covering him, normally any airline that gets bad press for an incident like this throws the whole crew "under the bus", me thinks this fellow has connections...

[tristar]

what an IDIOT!!!

[kiofka]

My heart goes out to the co-pilot. My disappointment goes out to Air India for putting this poor soul in this position without the proper training.  I trained young people in the Fire Academy for many years and have a lot of experience in what can go wrong in an emergency situation when someone is not properly trained for it. I'm certain this would not have happened had he been prepared.  In my opinion, the co-pilot has every right to bring a lawsiut against the airlines for putting him in that position.

A couple people in this blog got it. They were able to look beyond the end of their nose. 

Those people blaming the co-pilot need to give it more thought.