Oxygen masks down, AI plane flies from Delhi to Mumbai
NEW DELHI: Every time you board an aircraft, you hear the standard pre-takeoff announcement of overhead oxygen masks falling in case of fall in cabin pressure. Most passengers feel this will never happen and don’t pay attention to it, but a recent Air India flight from Delhi to Mumbai flew all the way with the masks hanging over the heads of passengers.
The bizarre incident, a serious breach of established safety procedures, took place on AI’s Boeing 747 as it winged its way from Delhi to Mumbai on February 4. The oxygen masks got deployed automatically once the aircraft was airborne.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation stipulates that in such circumstances, a plane must immediately stop ascending and land at the nearest airport. However, in this case the plane went on to ascend to 36,000 feet and also complete the journey. While the plane landed safely in Mumbai, both DGCA and Air India’s air safety wing are investigating the alleged non-compliance with rules that could have cost the pilots dear. The pilots have been taken off the flying roster pending the inquiry.
Confirming the incident, Jitendra Bhargava, Air India’s executive director for corporate communications, said: “We cannot comment on it till the probe is over. The pilots have been derostered.” He added that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft, which is back flying.
DGCA has taken a serious view of the incident. An aircraft cabin has to be pressurized when it climbs above 10,000 feet.