3 pilots, a cabin crew suspended for violating safety norms

Two pilots of SpiceJet who damaged runway edge lights during landing in Kolkata and a pilot and cabin crew who were involved in a heated argument and physical altercation when the aircraft was on the ground have been suspended by DGCA for six months.

New Delhi: Two pilots of SpiceJet who damaged runway edge lights during landing and a pilot and cabin crew who were involved in a physical altercation have been suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for six months for allegedly violating safety norms of aviation.

The two SpiceJet pilots are Captain Saurabh Gulia and Aarati Gunsekaran, who had damaged runway edge lights during landing in Kolkata on July 2. They were operating a B737 aircraft on Pune-Kolkata route.

The DGCA order accessed read, "The aircraft touched down approximately 1,300 feet from runway threshold point and touched down the right of the runway centreline with 7 degrees of roll angle towards the right which resulted in the aircraft further veering to the right of the centreline and damaging runway edge lights."

Both the pilots were served a show-cause notice and DGCA found their replies were not satisfactory.

In the case of Air India flight which was an A319 aircraft operating in the Bengaluru-Kolkata route on June 17, the investigation revealed that the pilot in command Captain Milind and cabin crew Rajat Verman were involved in a heated argument and physical altercation when the aircraft was on the ground during pre-departure phase and preparation for departure was in progress.

Both were served show-cause notices and the DGCA found their replies were not satisfactory.

"All the four were suspended for six months from the date of the incidents," the order said.