Two pilots grounded after Air India flight to Vienna dropped 900 ft mid-air

The flight incident happened minutes after take-off from Delhi airport when the plane triggered a warning it was going to stall; however, the pilots managed to control the plane

Two pilots of an Air India flight that lost altitude and dropped nearly 900 feet mid-air just two days after the Ahmedabad plane crash have now been off-rostered, NDTV reported on Tuesday. The flight was en route to Vienna and the incident happened minutes after take-off from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

 

The action was taken after the matter was disclosed to the aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in “accordance with regulations”, Air India said in a statement.

 

“Upon receipt of the pilot's report, the matter was disclosed to DGCA in accordance with regulations. Subsequently, upon receipt of data from the aircraft's recorders, further investigation was initiated. The pilots have been off-rostered pending the outcome of the investigation,” an Air India spokesperson said. 

 

 

The incident involved a Boeing 777 aircraft, which landed safely in Vienna after a flight of 9 hours and 8 minutes. According to a Financial Express report, the plane triggered a warning that it was facing a mid-air stall as well as a “don’t sink” alert when it started to lose altitude. Additionally, the flight crew received a so-called ‘stick shaker’ alert, a warning system that shakes the flight controls and warns the pilots that the plane is in danger of stalling, according to a report in The Times of India.

 

Air India is facing continued scrutiny due to flight delays, cancellations, and increased regulatory attention following the 12 June Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 241 out of 242 people on board, as well as several on the ground.

 

The DGCA and a parliamentary panel are leading an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, and a report on the same is to be submitted in Parliament on 11 July. The flight’s data and cockpit voice recorders are being analysed by an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) laboratory in Delhi to ascertain the final moments of the ill-fated flight and what the exact cause of the deadly crash might be.