Mumbai: Since 1982, aircraft-assisted suicides (US aviation jargon) by commercial airline pilots have killed 421 people. If final investigation report into the March 24 Germanwings crash confirms that the co-pilot had deliberately crashed the aircraft, the toll would go up to 571. In a study the US aviation regulator released last year, it revealed that there were eight such cases in the US between 2003 and 2012. The pilot was the sole occupant in seven of these cases. Four of the eight pilots tested positive for alcohol and two positive for antidepressants. Despite these shocking cases, flying is one of the safest modes of transport as the intentional crashing of an aircraft is an infrequent and uncommon event.
But could a Germanwings kind of crash have taken place in India? The answer, say aviation experts, is a yes, although it would not be as easy. Why? Post 9/11, reinforced cockpit doors were introduced in all passenger aircraft the world over. During flight, the cockpit door is kept locked at all times. It can be opened or shut only from inside the cockpit. In India, the norm is to have a minimum of two people in the cockpit at all times.
"So when a pilot needs to use the bathroom, a flight attendant should be called into the cockpit. This is to ensure there is someone to open the door if the pilot inside the cockpit gets incapacitated. But that norm is not diligently followed. With the Germanwings incident, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) may make its compliance mandatory," said a senior commander, requesting anonymity.
28/03/15 Manju V/Times of India
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But could a Germanwings kind of crash have taken place in India? The answer, say aviation experts, is a yes, although it would not be as easy. Why? Post 9/11, reinforced cockpit doors were introduced in all passenger aircraft the world over. During flight, the cockpit door is kept locked at all times. It can be opened or shut only from inside the cockpit. In India, the norm is to have a minimum of two people in the cockpit at all times.
"So when a pilot needs to use the bathroom, a flight attendant should be called into the cockpit. This is to ensure there is someone to open the door if the pilot inside the cockpit gets incapacitated. But that norm is not diligently followed. With the Germanwings incident, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) may make its compliance mandatory," said a senior commander, requesting anonymity.
28/03/15 Manju V/Times of India
