An Air India pilot has been suspended from operational duties pending an investigation into a hard landing at Dubai on December 20.
The landing incident in Dubai on December 20 involved an Air India Airbus A320neo, registered VT-CIQ. The aircraft reportedly made a heavy landing of approximately 3.5G, but did not suffer structural damage, a Times of India report said.
The aircraft subsequently came to a stop safely following the landing incident. As a result, will the pilot flying (PF) has been suspended from operational duties pending the completion of the investigation into the incident.
The aircraft was reportedly grounded in Dubai for a week where it underwent extensive maintenance checks before being permitted to return to the airline’s Mumbai engineering base.
Repositioning flight Dubai – Mumbai
Flight data shows that the aircraft subsequently conducted a repositioning flight from Dubai to Mumbai on December 27.
Notably, the flight was conducted at the reduced cruising altitude of 10,000 feet, suggestive of a precautionary unpressurised flight operation to return the aircraft to the Mumbai engineering base.
Speaking to the news source Times of India, Air India said: “”An investigation has already been initiated, as per DGCA norms.”
“The pilot was appropriately trained and licensed to fly the aircraft. He has been off-rostered till the process of inquiry is on as per norms.”
The aircraft involved in the Dubai landing incident was Airbus A320neo registration VT-CIQ; a five-year old narrowbody aircraft belonging to the Indian national carrier Air India.
According to Planespotters data, the aircraft has been on the carrier’s fleet since new, having originally been inducted onto the line in July 2018.
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