Vistara Mumbai-Delhi flight lands in Lucknow with low fuel, pilot grounded

Vistara Mumbai-Delhi flight lands in Lucknow with low fuel, pilot grounded
A Vistara Airbus A320 passenger aircraft prepares for takeoff at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport | Photo: Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday grounded a pilot who issued a 'Mayday' distress call due to low-fuel near Lucknow airport on Monday while operating a Mumbai-Delhi flight.

A senior Vistara official confirmed to PTI that the pilot has been "de-rostered" as per the instructions of the regulator.

"The pilot who was operating UK944 flight and issued a 'Mayday' call on Monday has been suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," another source said.

A Vistara spokesperson said, "Flight UK944 operating Mumbai-Delhi on July 15, 2019, initiated a diversion to Lucknow due to bad weather over Delhi. However, over Lucknow, the visibility suddenly dropped and a safe landing was not possible. The crew then considered alternative airfields, including Kanpur and Prayagraj to land in comparatively better weather condition".

He said the Lucknow Air Traffic Control then informed the crew that the weather in Lucknow had improved significantly following which the crew decided to return to the city due to better passenger and aircraft support there.

"The unexpected drop in visibility at the destination alternate was the main reason why the aircraft ended up in a low-fuel situation despite carrying excess fuel over and above the required Flight Plan Fuel as per regulations. Safety of passengers and crew was kept at the highest priority throughout the flight," the spokesperson added.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.