IndiGo flight delayed by 65 minutes in Bangalore as pilot forgets ‘important document’

BENGALURU: In a bizarre incident at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday, the pilot and co-pilot of an IndiGo flight brought the flight to a halt just before take-off as an important legal document to be carried on board could not be found inside the cockpit. 

Over 160 passengers on board the flight from Bengaluru to New Delhi had to remain seated in flight for 65 minutes until the document was brought to the flight. 

The delay of flight No. 6E 9002 resulted in a few passengers missing out on connecting flights as well as important appointments in New Delhi.

The flight was supposed to depart at 11 am, but finally left only by 12.05 pm.IndiGo has apologised to the passengers in a tweet.

According to sources, the document in question called the Load and Trim Sheet carries details on the entire load carried on the flight, including a number of passengers, cargo and fuel and where everything is positioned on board.

“The ground handling staff prepare two copies of the list and has to be signed by the Captain. One copy is retained by them, while the pilots carry a copy to the cockpit,” a source explained.

The  Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates carrying this sheet onboard every flight and is referred to later while carrying out audit work, another source said. 

The pilots’ mistake upset plans of passenger, Mohammed Sadiq, who runs an eco-friendly startup in Bengaluru. He had an important meeting with a minister in which an alternative to plastic was to be discussed.

Sadiq told The New Indian Express, “My meeting was scheduled at 4 pm at Khan Market and I missed it. I also missed another connecting flight to Calicut and I am staying put in New Delhi tonight, hoping to approach the minister’s office for another appointment.”

An anguished Sadiq said, “If it had been a technical issue or something, we can understand. But this episode of the document being forgotten by a pilot is sheer stupidity.” 

A lawyer on board and a few others were discussing fears over missing the connecting flight, he added. Maneesh Agrawal, Director of Production Engineering at Adobe in Bengaluru, tweeted about the incident, “Flight has been pushed back and now pilot is waiting for document.” 

HEAVY RAIN FORCES DIVERSION OF FLIGHTS FROM KIA TO CHENNAI

Due to bad weather in Bengaluru city, four flights from the city were diverted to Chennai between 4.20 pm and 5.05 pm, said a spokesperson of the airport operator, Kempegowda International Airport Limited.

The flights are currently en route to Bengaluru, he added.