Air India flight flies with landing gear out; 2 women pilots taken off duty

Mumbai, Jul 25: Air India has derostered two women pilots as they forgot to retract the landing gear of a city- bound flight after take off from Kolkata last week, according to airline officials. Faced with low fuel for the onward journey, the flight was diverted to Nagpur, where it made a safe landing. The incident involving Kolkata-Mumbai flight — that was carrying nearly 100 passengers — happened on July 22.

Officials said the pilots did not retract the landing gear after take-off. Following the incident, the two women pilots have been derostered and the initial probe report has also been submitted to the executives concerned, they added. “The pilots were derostered after the incident was reported. Investigation is on,” Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said.

Landing gear is deployed at the time of landing and take off. Soon after a plane takes off, the landing gear is retracted but in this particular instance, the pilots concerned failed to retract it. As the landing gear of the aircraft was not retracted, it resulted in increased fuel consumption.