Pilot dozed off, co-pilot played with iPad as Jet Airways flight plunged 5,000 feet

If the several crashes in recent history weren’t bad enough, now reports of irresponsible pilots have started to make flying seem like a risky affair. According a report published on the The Hindustan Times ,  a passengers in a Brussels-bound Jet Airways flight were in for a shock as their plane plunged 5,000 feet. While some reports said that both the pilots had fallen asleep, some other news agencies said that the pilot slept off, while the co-pilot was busy checking out ‘flight information’ on his iPad.

The incident is now being probed by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). HT reports, “The incident that took place last Friday is now being probed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the crew has failed to report the matter soon after completing the flight in accordance with the rules laid down by the aviation safety regulator.”

According to Zee News , the pilots have been suspended following the incident. It says that the pilots have been pulled up for ‘taking controlled rest, which means a nap as per rules, and negligence while on duty’.  

Reports suggest that the flight commander and the co-pilot dozed off soon after the flight entered the Turkish airspace, resulting in the plane plunging to 29,000 feet above sea level from 34,000 feet at which it was flying.

It was only a alarmed call from the Ankara ATC that woke the pilots up, who then cruised the aircraft to safety.

A senior official of the DGCA told India.com, “This is a matter of serious concern and the pilots involved in the incident have been grounded from Wednesday. We will form a team to inquire into the matter and also the training facilities of the airlines.”