An Indian private airline has fired two of its pilots for allegedly dropping coffee and food on the throttle during flight.
The incident was detected by the pilots themselves, who took a picture of their snack. This photo was circulated on social networks, causing outrage in the aviation community.
We can clearly see the kahwa kahwa and samosas, tiny Indian dumplings, literally placed on flying crowbars.
The device was moving at an altitude of 37,000 feet when the photo was taken, according to the BBC.
The surprise infuriated, prompting India’s aviation regulator to issue a warning to the airline.
On Wednesday, SpiceJet said it was investigating the matter and learned the pilots were involved.
“Adequate disciplinary action will be taken against them after investigation,” a spokesperson for the airline told The Times of India.
Indian aviation rules allow pilots and crew members to eat and drink inside the cockpit, but under strict guidelines.
For example, all cups must have lids and be placed on a tray to prevent spills.
The accident occurred on a flight en route from Delhi to Guwahati in the north-east of the country on March 8.
The post went viral and sparked outrage on social media, with people criticizing the pilots for their reckless behaviour.
“Even the slightest disturbance and the slightest spill of coffee on the electronics clogs the systems. It is a criminal act,” said aviation expert Mohan Ranganathan, who shared the image on his Twitter account.
For Quebec pilot and captain Dominique Daoust, such a gesture is literally “criminal negligence,” he explains to us on Twitter.
“It is criminal negligence. Nothing less. The levers on which the glass rests are the ‘fuel bulkheads’! This is where the fuel supply to the engines is cut off! Not to mention the spaghetti and electrical equipment. Under the center console,” he explains in a tweet.
