Air India pilot takes loo break, plane plunges 5,000 feet

Four days after the Mangalore disaster, passengers of an Air India flight had a narrow escape as the plane plunged thousands of feet and almost came in the path of another aircraft.

According to reports, the Dubai-Pune Air India Express flight 1X-212 was on autopilot, which became disengaged when the commander, Anupam Tiwari, was in the washroom.

The co-pilot couldn’t manage the aircraft and it lost altitude rapidly after hitting an air pocket over Muscat. The Boeing 737-800 dived 5,000 feet before it was brought under control.

“The… flight on May 26… lost some height. There are no reports of any injuries to (the 112) passengers and (six) crew. The pilots have been de-rostered to enable them to participate in the inquiry. The matter is being investigated,” Air India said in a statement issued on Monday.

The plane experienced sudden decompression due to the altitude loss. But an Air India spokesperson said: “How much height the aircraft lost is a matter of investigation.”

Reportedly, the plane, after the plunge, came in the path of another aircraft. But an Air India official said there was no threat of a near-miss as no other aircraft was near the plane that lost height. The inquiry would lay bare the facts, he said.