While the plane they were flying plunged 5,000 feet altitude, a Jet Airways pilot was asleep and the co-pilot was busy on an iPad known to checking out flight information. Both have been suspended by aviation regulator department DGCA which is now in charge of investigating the incident.
280 passengers including crew were on the flight from Mumbai to Newark via Brussels when it fell from an altitude of 34,000 feet to 29,000 feet. While the plane was in Turkish airspace, Air Traffic Controllers noted the abnormal descent and sent an emergency message to the aircraft pilot asking it to climb back up. The co-pilot then woke up the radio signal.
Both pilots were produced by the DGCA yesterday for questioning about the same. While the captain said he was on "controlled rest", a allowed short nap inside the cockpit on flight procedure, the co-pilot testified that she was working on her iPad which had flight information on to it, said unnamed sources to the Press.
Confirming the incident, an airline spokesperson said Jet Airways has initiated an internal inquiry into the incident.
"The airline company is also extending all co-operation in the matter to the DGCA by providing all necessary assistance for the inquiry," the spokesperson added.
The regulator also wants to know why the airline or the pilots failed to report the incident.
While both the pilots kept flying until they were grounded, the crew did not submitted a flight safety report, which is a mandatory procedure to document any unusual incident or activity during the course of a flight.
Both pilots were produced by the DGCA yesterday for questioning about the same. While the captain said he was on "controlled rest", a allowed short nap inside the cockpit on flight procedure, the co-pilot testified that she was working on her iPad which had flight information on to it, said unnamed sources to the Press.
Confirming the incident, an airline spokesperson said Jet Airways has initiated an internal inquiry into the incident.
"The airline company is also extending all co-operation in the matter to the DGCA by providing all necessary assistance for the inquiry," the spokesperson added.
The regulator also wants to know why the airline or the pilots failed to report the incident.
While both the pilots kept flying until they were grounded, the crew did not submitted a flight safety report, which is a mandatory procedure to document any unusual incident or activity during the course of a flight.
