Air India backs moody pilot who put over 200 lives in peril

September 2, 2016

Mumbai, Sep 2: A senior Air India executive commander prone to sudden, psychotic mood swings carried out an extremely unsafe manoeuvre onboard a Delhi-Paris flight on April 28 putting the Boeing 787 and the lives of over 200 passengers and crew at risk.

airindiaA panel formed to probe the incident concluded last month that the commander should undergo psychiatric evaluation and thereafter fly only as a co-pilot for six months, during which his behaviour should be under check. The commander is currently grounded, but the airline has formed another committee to relook the case and there are apprehensions he may get a clean chit.

Unlike the Germanwings March 2015 crash in which a suicidal co-pilot locked out the commander and flew into the French Alps killing all 150 people on board, in the Air India case, it was the copilot who raised an alarm.

On April 28, the commander, for reasons unknown, manipulated the onboard flight management computer and initiated a climb beyond the aircraft's altitude capability.

This would have taken the aircraft into what's commonly called the "coffin corner" — the altitude at which an aircraft becomes unstable and the flight controls offer no help. Once at this altitude, any reduction in airspeed would cause the aircraft to stall, but if the speed is increased (to prevent the stall) the aircraft could suffer structural damage. So either way the aircraft is at risk.

"Even as the commander started the climb, the co-pilot objected. But he disregarded the co-pilot's advice and the aircraft came close to stall speed," said a source. "Luckily for its crew and passengers, the aircraft was brought down to a safer altitude."

The co-pilot later reported the incident. "An inquiry was ordered, which subsequently discovered a number of other incidents where the commander's behaviour had come across as mercurial, unstable and temperamental, a trait considered unsafe for a pilot," a source said.

In the last 2-3 years, the frequency of such cases had gone up. The inquiry panel said it would be unsafe to overlook his behaviour pattern and recommended a psychiatric assessment by IAF doctors.

However, the airline, instead has constituted a new panel. "Two of the three members in this panel are known to be close to the commander and they might let him go scotfree and let him back into the cockpit in command," said a source. The AI spokesperson was sent a questionnaire, but the airline did not respond.

Comments

Well Wisher
 - 
Friday, 2 Sep 2016

Dear Mr.Anand wake up don't comment like fool. What happend in Mangalore May 22nd 2010. Who did the crash landing of DXB/IXE flight. Because of restless duty n dirty airindia miss management arrogant pilot crash landed N attempted to take of from table top airport and swallowed innocents life. One Mr.Shetty AR also giving some use less comments in favor of this dirty airlone. If u look at historuair India is one top with miss handling cases.
Airindia is unsafe n dangerous airline.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 13,2020

Mangaluru, May 13: Dakshina Kannada today recorded its fourth death due to novel coronavirus.

The victim, identified by number P-536, is a 58-year-old woman from Boloor area of Manglauru. She was tested covid-19 positive on April 30. 

A patient with TB meningitis, the woman had been treated and discharged from Mangaluru’s First Neuro Hospital, which has emerged as covid-19 hub of coastal Karnataka.

In hospital she had reportedly come in contact with patient No 501 who worked as a sweeper in the same hospital. 

With this death, the number of active covid-19 cases reduced to 16 in Dakshina Kannada. The district has so far reported 34 covid-19 cases including four deaths. 14 have been discharged.

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News Network
March 2,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 2: The monthlong budget session beginning on Monday, which will mark BS Yediyurappa’s maiden budget in his fourth term as chief minister, is expected to be a fiery one.

The opposition JD(S) and Congress have already threatened to stall proceeding until BJP legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal apologises for his controversial remarks against freedom fighter and centenarian HS Doreswamy. Yatnal had called him a fake and a Pakistani agent.

Disruptions are also likely to pose a threat to speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri’s novel idea of having a two-day discussion on the Constitution of India to commemorate 70 years of the country’s Independence.

Both opposition parties have scheduled legislature party meetings early on Monday and they could coordinate on issues on the floor of the house to put the BJP — especially Yediyurappa — on the backfoot.

Yatnal is not known as a “hardliner”, but his attack on Doreswamy has garnered support from several ministers including CT Ravi, KS Eshwarappa and V Somanna. Yediyurappa may have a hard time defending his party’s line.

The BJP is yet to schedule its legislature party meeting, but MLAs suggest the party will allow the issue to be raised and debated in the legislature. “Both have expressed their point of view. Let there be a discussion on the matter, but not allowing the house to function will only be a waste of the state’s time and money,” said deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan.

Besides the Doreswamy issue, Yediyurappa will also deliver his reply — postponed from February 20 — to the debate on the governor’s address. The issue of student Amulya Leona Narona’s arrest on a charge of sedition, the Bidar sedition case involving a parent of a school student, pro-Pakistan writings on walls in places in north Karnataka, introduction of NPR and the anti-CAA stir is also likely to feature during the lengthy session.

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News Network
March 27,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 27: In a preparatory measure to tackle any exigency in the backdrop of spread of coronavirus, the Karnataka government has asked district administrations to use as quarantine centres the residential schools and hostels that come the under Social Welfare department.

"Wherever necessary, these residential schools and hostels can be converted as quarantine facility without any extra cost by the district administrations," Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol said in a statement.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka stood at 55, including two deaths and three discharged persons, as on Thursday.

Karjol, who is also the Minister in-charge of Social Welfare department said, in view of holidays for educational institutions, there were no students staying in the residential schools and hostels and hence they can be used for quarantine purpose.

All the residential schools at hostels in districts and taluks are spacious and have all required facilities like rooms, kitchen, toilets, bathrooms, libraries among others, the Minister said adding most of them were located away from densely populated areas.

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