DGCA suspends two Jet Airways pilots for not following procedure

Aircraft was carrying only 270 kgs of fuel when it was supposed to carry 1,500 kgs

A Jet Airways flight from Doha to Kochi carrying 141 passengers made an alternative landing at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday with low reserve fuel, leading to suspension of two pilots by the aviation regulator, sources said.

Terming it as a “serious” incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has referred the matter to the Air Accident Investigation Bureau and initiated review of the fuel uplift policy of Jet Airways to examine whether it was carrying less fuel to save costs, senior officials said. The incident occurred on Tuesday when the Kochi-bound Boeing 737-800 could not land at the destination due to rough weather. The pilot had to seek diversion to Thiruvananthapuram, citing a “fuel emergency”, instead of taking it to Bengaluru, the nearest airport, the source said. “The pilots' first alternative destination should have been the nearest Bengaluru airport. When it landed on the seventh attempt, the aircraft was left with only 270 kg of fuel. We need to find whether they were trying to save cost by taking less fuel,” said a senior DGCA official. The ideal requirement is 1,300-1,500 kg as holding fuel for 30 minutes. A Jet spokesperson said: "Flight 9W 555 en route from Doha to Kochi was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram as a precautionary measure, as the runway at Kochi was not visible due to the presence of low clouds. This is in line with the standard operating safety procedure.”

The airline spokesperson added, “At Jet Airways, safety is of paramount importance, and to this end, planning of flight operations are conducted with a very high level of safety. This includes a fuel uplift that not only meets all regulatory requirements but also has additional buffers to cater to unexpected scenarios, including poor weather at the alternative airport.”

However, while avoiding any mention of the suspension of the flight commander and his co-pilot, the airline said it would not make any further comments as the matter is under investigation.

The DGCA official said pilots have been suspended for “not following proper procedures and carrying less fuel.”