New Delhi:
The flight crew of the Air India A330 aircraft which was operating from Delhi to Shanghai has been grounded. The flight which took off from Delhi on July 5, was caught in a major turbulence mid-air, injuring two cabin crew and one passenger.
According to a MiD DAY investigation, the flight started its journey from Delhi to Shanghai with 60 passengers and 11 crewmembers on board at around 11.40 am and was in Indian airspace at around 1.15 pm when it witnessed a major turbulence. "Everything was fine during the first one and a half hours of the journey. The trouble started following an announcement for all passengers and crew to be seated; approximately ten minutes later the aircraft entered an air pocket, experiencing major turbulence. Passengers fell down on the floor, most of armrests were damaged, the overhead baggage locker opened up and some of the gear tumbled down on passengers, pillows and blankets were flying around inside the plane and one of the toilets partially caved in," a crewmember said. (
Read report here)
The pilot, who was allegedly at fault, did not apologise to the passengers, the MiD DAY report said. Top Air India sources said that the Airbus 330 aircraft, which was used for the journey, has now been decommissioned due to serious internal damages.
The pilots, however, said there is nothing to hide. "We reported the matter on the very day to DGCA and the airline. A proper inquiry is in progress. Those who got hurt are people who did not listen to the instructions of the pilot and we cannot do anything about that," Captain SPS Suri, the pilot in question, told MiD DAY.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA is investigating how the incident took place.