fbpx
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Home Foreign News Plane Returns Midair As First Officer Lack Flying Test

Plane Returns Midair As First Officer Lack Flying Test

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

An aircraft which was already airborne returned on discovery that the First Officer on board had not completed his final flying test.

The Airbus A330 jet operated by Virgin Atlantic was nearly 40 minutes into its journey to New York on Monday when the two pilots on board became aware of the “rostering error”, the airline said.

This resulted in the return of the plane to the Heathrow Airport, according to agency reports on Thursday.  

Flight VS3 had reached the skies above Ireland before returning to Heathrow, touching down more than one-and-a-half hours after it took off.

See also  Niger Holds Presidential, Legislative Elections

A replacement for the First Officer was made and the plane departed again for New York.

Virgin Atlantic insisted safety was not compromised.

The initial first officer joined the carrier in 2017 and was fully qualified under British aviation regulations but had not completed a final assessment flight which was part of the airline’s internal requirements.

Flight VS3 turned back as the captain had not been designated as a trainer.

See also  Military Aircraft Kills Over 1000 Cows In Nasarawa

Control of an aircraft was usually shared between a First Officer and the Captain, but the latter held ultimate responsibility for what happened on a flight.

See also  Military Aircraft Kills Over 1000 Cows In Nasarawa

A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said, “Due to a rostering error, flight VS3 from London Heathrow to New York-JFK returned to Heathrow on Monday, May 2, shortly after take-off.

“The qualified First Officer, who was flying alongside an experienced captain, was replaced with a new pilot to ensure full compliance with Virgin Atlantic’s training protocols, which exceed industry standards.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers, who arrived two hours and 40 minutes later than scheduled as a result of the crew change.’’

See also  2 Killed in Crash-Landing of Small Cargo Plane in Southwest Somalia – Reports

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said “Virgin Atlantic has made us aware of the incident. Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight.” 

© 2022, Scud News. All rights reserved.

- Advertisement -
Source(dpa/NAN)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

How Abacha’s Son Died In Abuja… The Untold Story

Controversy over sudden death of Mr. Abdullahi Abacha, son of late General Sani Abacha, in Abuja, the nation's capital city on Saturday.

Police Escorts Go Haywire At Sokoto Airport Over Ex-Gov Yari’s Largesse

Three police officers attached to a former governor of the State, Abdul’aziz Yari, displayed a show of shame at the Sokoto Airport on Friday.

Dangote’s Top Expatriate Manager Commits Suicide

Residents of Okpella in Edo State are bewildered over the death of a top-ranking expatriate staff of the Dangote Cement Factory at the bustling community in

2023: Fulfill Campaign Promises, Delta Assembly Aspirant Urges Politicians

Delta State Assembly aspirant, Engr Foburuku has said the fulfillment of campaign promises made by politicians seeking electoral offices.
See also  British Airways to Face Strike Action

© 2020 – 2021, Scud News. All rights reserved.

%d bloggers like this: