Plane plunges 5,000ft after 'pilot asleep and co-pilot on iPad'
Authorities are investigating after a Jet Airways plane dropped 5,000ft in airspace over Turkey while the pilot was asleep and the co-pilot was looking at the iPad.
The Boeing 777-300 was travelling from Mumbai to Brussels carrying 280 passengers last Friday when the incident occurred.
The pilot was reportedly taking a "controlled rest" (meaning napping is allowed), and the co-pilot was busy looking at flight information on the iPad, and did not realise the plane had plunged.
Aviation regulator DGCA has called it a "serious incident" and has suspended both pilots while an investigation takes place.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, both pilots were unaware the plane was losing altitude until they received an emergency call from air traffic control asking why the plane had moved from its assigned flight level of 34,000ft to 29,000ft.
The Indian Express reports that the co-pilot immediately woke up the captain, who restored the height of the plane.
The Hindustan Times reports that neither of the pilots recorded the incident in their post-flight report, and kept on with regular flying till the DGCA was tipped off about the incident through an anonymous message.
The DGCA added: "Both the pilots have been taken off the roster pending inquiry."
Related articles
PIlots boths fall asleep while flying plane
Four in 10 pilots fall asleep in the cockpit
'I fell asleep at the controls', admits British pilot
