2 IndiGo pilots suspended for 2 months for flying plane with tail support attached

During loading or unloading of any kind of cargo in an aircraft, the tail support or ‘tail prop’ is used to prevent the plane from tipping over backwards.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday suspended two pilots of IndiGo for two months for flying a Hyderabad-Vijaywada flight with the tail prop attached, even though they were informed about it by the Air Traffic Control (ATC) immediately after take-off

Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday suspended two IndiGo pilots for two months for flying a Hyderabad-Vijaywada flight on July 24 with the tail support attached (PTI)

The incident happened on July 24, said a DGCA official.

Tail props are supposed to provide support to the aircraft while it’s on the ground, and when it is airborne, it is not supposed to be hanging.

The Aviation regulator DGCA said the Air Traffic Controller immediately informed the pilots about it, but instead of returning back to Hyderabad, they kept flying.

“Investigation revealed that the flight crew were informed immediately after take off by the ATC regarding departure of aircraft with tail prop attached. However, the crew continued to destination instead of returning back to Hyderabad. This could have caused structural damage to the aircraft during flight,” the DGCA said in the suspension order.