AI pilot with 'extreme mood swings' risks lives of 200 people?

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Sep 02 2016 | 6:48 PM IST
A senior Air India pilot, prone to extreme mood swings, did an unsafe manouvere with a Delhi-Paris flight carrying over 200 people in April, with the airline grounding the pilot while aviation regulator DGCA is probing the matter.
Raising serious concerns over air safety, the flight's commander steered the Boeing 787 plane to a higher elevation beyond the stipulated permissible safety levels.
There are serious concerns over such an incident involving an Air India flight especially after the Germanwings plane crashed in March last year when a pilot, reported to have suicidal tendencies, crashed the aircraft into the French Swiss Alps killing more than 140 people.
Sources said soon after the incident was reported by the co-pilot, the commander was grounded and Air India has opened an investigation into the "serious violation".
The matter is also being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), they added.
According to them, the pilot is prone to "extreme behavioural issues as well as extreme mood swings" and is believed to have displayed signs of distress on a few occasions earlier also.
Sources said the pilot tampered with the onboard flight software and steered the plane to altitude levels where loss of control was possible.
The co-pilot noticed the abnormal flying manoeuvre and then made the commander bring back the aircraft to the normal altitude, sources added.
The incident happend on April 28.
While both investigations are progressing, Air India has also referred the pilot's case to its medical board since it involves "psychological issues at the individual level". The pilot, who is still grounded, would be asked to undergo detailed psychological assessments, sources said.
In recent times, there have been increasing instances of air safety violations including grounding of drunk pilots and some working more than stipulated hours.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 02 2016 | 6:48 PM IST

Next Story