Air India pilot admits he had no instructions to land

[alberttky 0]

The Air India pilot who landed his plane at Mumbai airport without permission from air traffic control (ATC) on April 12 could have caused a huge disaster, documents available withMumbai Mirror reveal.

In his flight safety report, Captain R S Otaal writes that he continued his approach even though the runway wasn't empty and he did not have instructions to land. In both these situations, pilots are supposed to go around (circle) and await landing instructions from ATC.

In his report, available with Mumbai Mirror, Captain Otaal, who was operating Air India flight 944 from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai, categorically states that he continued the approach despite receiving no instructions.

“During the final approach but we could not establish clear two-way communication. Loss-of-communication procedure was followed and we continued our approach.

“At 800 feet, two follow-me jeeps were sighted on runway and by 500 feet both had vacated it. As no red flag or other signal to discontinue was given and the runway was clear, we continued our approach, landed and vacated by N7 (taxiway) as normal,” reads Otaal’s flight safety report. Pilots are supposed to file a flight safety report within 24 hours of any accident or major incident.

Talking to Mirror, Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a member of the government-appointment safety advisory body CASAC, said, “As a standard procedure the pilot should have conducted a go-around when no communication was established with ATC and he identified vehicles on the runway. The fact that he didn’t adopt laiddown procedures and then made such false statements is worrying.”

ATC sources revealed that an Indigo Airlines aircraft was first in queue to land and AI 944 was behind. However, while the Indigo flight decided to go around (circle before landing), AI 944 continued its risky approach.

“The pilot is blatantly lying. If the aircraft which was ahead of his conducted a go-around, he should have done the same. Bringing up issues such as ‘no red flag shown’ or ‘no instructions given’ is nothing but a tactic to divert attention from his mistake,” an ATC official told this newspaper.

Sources also revealed that the aircraft was carrying a full fuel load, which made the pilot's decision even more dangerous. R K Khanna, deputy director general, DGCA (western region) maintained that both pilots have been derostered and a detailed investigation is in progress. “We are investigating all aspects of the incident and expecting a report soon,” said Khanna.

Who is Capt Otaal?

Captain R S Otaal, a check pilot (very senior) whjo conducts proficiency tests and route checks of other pilots, had his first brush with controversy after he conducted a hard landing at Rajkot airport in 2010.

His check pilot profile, which was withdrawn with immediate then, was returned to him just a few months ago. Both pilots of the flight from Abu Dhabi have been derostered by the DGCA pending an inquiry. Otaal is also the regional secretary of Air India's largest pilot union, ICPA.

 

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20130417201304170623249219df22cc6/AI-pilot-admits-he-had-no-instructions-to-land.html

[Cire 0]

This happens when pilots gets cocky especially senior ones. Complacent starts to set in, rash decision in play, and the result is dicing with deaths.

 

This piece of news will surely be red flagged by flyers on the country's airlines.

[BC Tam 2]

Sources also revealed that the aircraft was carrying a full fuel load, which made the pilot's decision even more dangerous.

Interesting - wonder what those turbofans were burning enroute Abu Dhabi-Mumbai ?

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

“During the final approach but we could not establish clear two-way communication. Loss-of-communication procedure was followed and we continued our approach."

 

important sentence there. true or not true.... thats the question. Did he set his transponder to indicate he had loss of communication. If he did, I wouldn't really put the blame on him ......

[Lock SH 0]

It could only happen when the PIC thought he is the 'Supreme Commander' from the Land of Maharajah ...........

 

At least that is the attitude observed from most of the local captains in the Land of Maharajah carriers.

 

 

[Cire 0]

A case similar to this - the mid-air collision between a Fedex and a Russian airline, when conflicting instruction between the air traffic controller and the airplane's collision avoidance system.

[alberttky 0]

A case similar to this - the mid-air collision between a Fedex and a Russian airline, when conflicting instruction between the air traffic controller and the airplane's collision avoidance system.

Well, in the (you mean) DHL and the Russian airline case, the pilot was following ATC instruction, albeit a wrong one. This AI case, the pilot has NO instruction, and he should have gone around but didn't.

2 Air India pilots suspended

 

Two pilots of an Air India flight, which landed at Mumbai airport last Friday without air traffic control (ATC) clearance, have been suspended.

 

"Pending the enquiry, the Air India management had suspended both the pilot and the co-pilot. They will not fly again till they come clean," a senior airline official said.

 

He said if they are found guilty, then further action would be taken against them.

 

Air India flight AI-944 from Abu Dhabi had reportedly landed at the Mumbai airport on Friday morning without the requisite clearance from the ATC.

 

Also, within 60 nautical miles of landing, the aircraft had changed its communication frequency, allegedly flouting laid-down procedures.

 

The aircraft and controllers communicate on different frequencies depending on the flight's descending height and every communication is recorded and saved.

 

The aircraft can land only after getting a definite clearance from the ATC, which in this case had not allegedly happened.

 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had then ordered derostering of the pilot and the co-pilot soon after the incident came to light.

 

It had also derostered the surface movement controller and tower controller of the Mumbai airport following a preliminary report.

 

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/2-air-india-pilots-suspended-113041900970_1.html

"They will not fly again till they come clean". Wonder what they have to hide. Everything is recorded. Edited April 20, 2013 by alberttky

[Waiping 12]

If there is a lost of comm what would be the SOP? Don't think it is logically to maintain approach since accidents usually happens while taking off or landing.

[alberttky 0]

If there is a lost of comm what would be the SOP? Don't think it is logically to maintain approach since accidents usually happens while taking off or landing.

No clearance = go around.

[Aaron Goh 1]

Follow published loss comm procedure

[Cire 0]

I wondered whether during the pilots' refresher courses, were there any reminders to the pilots of such nature were re-drilled into their minds?

But then, with such an experienced pilots, it is inexcusable if he had said to have "forgotten" of such an important protocols.