20 months after an Air India Express flight landed in an open drain in Kochi, an investigation has revealed that poor coordination between the pilot and the co-pilot was responsible for the incident.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the senior male pilot, who was 30 years older to his female co-pilot, refused to take her suggestions or warnings at the time of landing.
The co-pilot had warned her senior to go slow as she could not see the runway markings.
She also insisted that a ‘follow-me’ vehicle be called to guide the plane for landing. But her advice was ignored by the senior pilot.
At that time, bad weather was blamed for the incident, which now turns out to be just another contributory factor.
After this revelation, the aviation authorities have advised Air India Express to avoid pairing pilots with large age and experience gaps together, as this can lead to poor coordination among them.