Coffee placed on the console of the flight, gujiya in hand; Strict action on pilots who celebrate Holi in the sky

Celebrating Holi in the air between two SpiceJet pilots turned out to be costly. Two SpiceJet pilots have been fired for irresponsibly celebrating Holi while operating a flight. Last Wednesday, while having gujiyas on a Delhi-Guwahati flight, both the pilots placed a glass of coffee on the center console of the flight deck. Along with this, Gujiya is also visible in the hand of the pilot. The picture of this incident is going viral on social media.

It is being said that if even a little liquid spilled from the glass, it could have affected the safety of the flight. The aircraft was reportedly flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet when the picture was taken. The speed of the aircraft was 0.79 Mach (975 kmph). After the picture went viral, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday asked the airline to immediately identify the crew members and take action against them.

Complying with the directive, the airline off-rostered the pilots a day later. A SpiceJet spokesperson said, “Pending the enquiry, both the pilots have been off-roster. SpiceJet has a strict policy regarding meals inside the cockpit, which is followed by all flight crew. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken once the inquiry is complete.” Some senior pilots have expressed concern over irresponsible celebrations.

According to the Times of India report, a senior pilot said, “The cup filled with coffee was placed on the fuel lever of the aircraft located in the middle of the center console. Immediately below are the engine and (auxiliary power unit) fire control switches. If coffee spills and falls on the fire panel, it can trigger a short circuit, causing a fire alarm. If this happens, the crew members will have to declare an emergency.

According to the report, another senior captain said, “This is not the place to keep anything. Spill of liquid can lead to a major disaster and cause short circuit and loss of control/communication. Central pedestal switch This space is extremely important for a safe flight.”