How Air India managed a dead drunk pilot aboard

New Delhi: Staff aboard a recent New York-Delhi Air India flight had a harrowing time with a dead-drunk pilot aboard. Thankfully, the pilot was a passenger and not manning controls in the cockpit.
The pilot was travelling economy and his ticket was upgraded to first class after he soiled his seat. But the airline denied that the ticket had to be upgraded. Captain Dass was travelling alone on a first class staff ticket, an airline spokesman said.
An airline source close to the crew witnessed all the action aboard. Flight attendants noticed his “untidy state” during routine check after all passengers had gone to sleep. The pilot was wearing a T-shirt and shorts and had been drinking.
An Air India spokesperson, however, said, “During the flight he just had wine and there is nothing wrong if crew members helped him.” The crew supervisor, a lady, was shocked to discover that the drunken passenger was a pilot. When things went out of control, the crew informed the commander, Vivek Chabra. Chabra was shocked to find that Captain Dass had wetted his shorts. He and other crew members hurriedly took the passenger to the toilet, wrapped him up in a blanket and brought him back to his seat. But they then realised that he had soiled his seat too. “There was no option than to shift him to another seat,” said the source.
23/09/08 Yogesh Kumar/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Air India - International Sep 2008, Foreign Sep 2008, NACIL Sep 2008