Three Fake Pilots Found Flying Airlines With Invalid Licenses
TEXT SIZE:
AAA
caribb, flickr
Recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India grounded an Indigo Airlines pilot, Parminder Kaur, for retraining after she continually landed her Airbus A320 improperly, causing damage to the aircraft. During the training, it was determined her paperwork was fake and she did not pass the Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) exam.
As a result of that incident, the aviation authority has been examining the documentation of other pilots and has found two additional pilots with phony licenses flying for Indigo and the carrier MDLR, which has since gone out of business.
"We are examining pilot licenses and have found two more cases (of fake ATPL papers). While the licenses have been revoked, these cases have also been referred to the police for further action," DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan told the Times of India.
The discovery of invalid papers worries local Indian officials who are dealing with a booming airline industry and many new low-cost carriers aggressively competing for pilots. Both the DGCA chief and Indigo president said that there can be no compromise on safety and will continue to investigate additional pilots.
Indigo was also in the news last month when a male passenger delayed a flight when he refused to fly in a plane with a female pilot.
- 11 Hotels That Offer Free Hot Breakfasts [Reader's Digest]
- 15 Travel Secrets of Veteran Globetrotters [Reader's Digest]
- How To Be Frugal Without Missing Out (Photos) [Lonely Planet]
- 13 Things Your Pilot Won't Tell You [Reader's Digest]
Add a Comment
Now that Wisconsin has effectivly crushed unions, how long before they can get rid of the pilots union in the US and start hiring these guys here?
March 10 2011 at 7:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyActually, you don't need an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) license to fly aircraft that big...a commercial license is good enough EXCEPT when flying for an airline. You can even fly aircraft of that type with just a private pilots license with the correct type rating: ... turbine .. instrument..etc.
The article didn't say what license the three pilots from India had...just that they didn't have an ATP license!
Fly-by-wire has nothing to do with piloting skills...it just basically means the yoke and rudder pedals are not linked mechanically to the control services but are connected electrically to servos which translate your control inputs to the control surfaces...it doesn't correct for mistakes!!!
Who cares, It's in India? Does that mean that NO planes come to our country from India? Would they be changing pilots mid air? Just wondering..
March 10 2011 at 5:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnyone seen my luggage?
March 10 2011 at 5:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNext Week: Fake POTUS found with invalid Birth Certificate
March 10 2011 at 4:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply@ JohnK. The POTUS (President Of The United States) is legit. Say what you mean, rather than resorting to cowardly codes. Wait...I get it now! JohnK is code for Junkie! I'll forgive your drug induced rants on that basis!
March 10 2011 at 5:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnd the photo is of a Northwest Airlines flight crew. Is that supposed to add sensationalism to the story? Why do news organizations always fabricate half of the story. Is it inended to scare us when we see an American-Looking flight crew?
March 10 2011 at 3:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI guess that shows, barring those tricky landings, how easy the fly by wire Airbus aircraft are to fly!
March 10 2011 at 3:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyGlad I still have my '54 Schwinn ...........
March 10 2011 at 1:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDid they have a "good credit score"?
Did they live in an American state?
Hot 5 Deals
Find the best offers to compare and save money.
Search for Deals
Gadling
May 25th 2013 3:00PM
May 25th 2013 1:00PM
May 25th 2013 11:00AM
May 25th 2013 9:00AM
Categories
- Adventure Travel
- Air Travel
- Arts & Culture
- Beach
- Best Of
- Budget
- Celebrity
- Cruise
- Disney
- EcoTravel
- Family
- Food + Drink
- Historic Sites
- Holidays
- Hotel
- Luxury
- News
- Nightlife
- Real Life Stories
- Road Trips
- Romantic
- Seasonal
- Spring Break
- Ski Vacations
- Spa & Wellness
- Tips & Tricks
- Weekend Getaways
- Weird
Travel Careers
See the world and interact with people from different cultures.
26 Comments