Passengers fume as sleepy crew delays flight

Snowgoose · Post by **Snowgoose** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:26 am

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070417/od_ ... t_sleep_dc

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Passengers on a British Airways flight from New Delhi to London faced a 13-hour delay as the pilot felt he was too sleepy after a noisy night in a New Delhi hotel, newspapers reported on Monday.

Angry passengers were offloaded from the plane early Sunday morning after the pilot refused to fly until he caught up with his sleep.

"The crew hadn't had enough rest...the entire crew had a disturbed night," Radhika Raikhy, spokeswoman for BA, was quoted in the Hindustan Times as saying, adding the airline's safety rules do not allow its crew to operate in such conditions.

The Times of India said the flight and cabin crew complained of not getting enough rest as their hotel was too noisy.

The flight, BA 142, finally took off 13 hours later to the fury of passengers who were sent to city hotels to wait out the delay as the crew rested, newspapers reported.

"It was very chaotic," said Sunil Thapar, a passenger.

"Due to a shortage of rooms, some people, including me, had to share rooms with strangers," he was quoted in The Times of India as saying.

Widow · Post by **Widow** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:31 am

I guess they would have preferred the pilot nodding off mid-flight or not having the clarity of thought required to handle difficult situations (like landing at Heathrow maybe?).

Good for the pilot and crew for recognizing the danger.

nyco · Post by **nyco** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:15 pm

I have to agree
Everytime I fly and flights are late, and people getting angry, I just can't stop thinking "take the time you need to take me there in one piece"

bandit1 · Post by **bandit1** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:25 pm

do you want it done now or do you want it done right

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:56 pm

I say, take off, set the autopilot, and take a snooze. Isn't that what they all do?

(Just being the Devil's advocate here.)

If it were me, I'd say I have some wicked shits, go see a doctor for a fake note, and party for a week!

-istp

Shiny Side Up · Post by **Shiny Side Up** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:01 pm

Possibly if the passengers were in that much of a hurry they should have took a bus - I hear busses in India are far safer and faster. Maybe they could have looked into a train ticket or better yet enjoy the cruise and took a boat. Maybe then they might realize how good they have it, and in the big scheme of things how 13hrs wait isn't really such a big deal.

phillyfan · Post by **phillyfan** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:18 pm

He should watch out. It was this same backward country that wanted Richard Gere killed for kissing some chick. I would have just done the flight.
http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/160 ... hilpa.html

tofo · Post by **tofo** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:15 pm

istp

while I usually find your posts entertaining and amusing I have to say that your response could be construed(sp?) as the reason more pilots won't do that. This captian should be congradulated for not making an economical decision,

I was a little dissapointed at your post.

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:29 pm

Do you guys really think a company like BA fell off the turnip wagon yesterday? That this was the first night they'd ever used this hotel? Sorry, I'm with the pax on this one. I'm sure BA had given the crew adequate time for crew rest. In a hotel they used regularly. A delay, perhaps. But 13 hours??? Give me a break! Methinks more will be revealed about this at a later date......there's more to it than the pilots being sleepy!

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:09 pm

Okay....then make the lay overs longer. How much time do they need to sleep? If they need 2 days....give them 2 days...change the rules..but I still think the pax got screwed.

bcflyer · Post by **bcflyer** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:21 pm

Doc wrote:Do you guys really think a company like BA fell off the turnip wagon yesterday? That this was the first night they'd ever used this hotel? Sorry, I'm with the pax on this one. I'm sure BA had given the crew adequate time for crew rest. In a hotel they used regularly. A delay, perhaps. But 13 hours??? Give me a break! Methinks more will be revealed about this at a later date......there's more to it than the pilots being sleepy!

If you take a quick look over on PPRUNE there is a good thread on this very incident. Apparently there was a cricket match underway right next door with all the noise and excitement?? that goes with it. As well the hotel is located right next door to a rail line and was undergoing renovations at the time. The flight was to depart at 230am so the crew would have had to sleep during the day and early evening to get any rest. Pretty tough to do under these circumstances. There are a few people complaining about this particular hotel over there. As for making the layovers longer, if you don't get any sleep in the 8-10 hrs prior to going on duty for an all night flight you are in no shape to go flying. PERIOD! Wouldn't matter if you were there for 2 weeks!! BA and the BAALPA are backing the Captain and his decision %100.

wasYKnowFJ · Post by **wasYKnowFJ** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:35 pm

I say, "suck it up princess, and get it done." They only have to be awake for the first 2 minutes, and the last 2 minutes anyway.

Possible solution though, is to give them a few 45 gallon drums to roll up and down the isles, if they're sleepy.

Airline types...

Justwannafly · Post by **Justwannafly** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:49 pm

wasYKnowFJ wrote:I say, "suck it up princess, and get it done." They only have to be awake for the first 2 minutes, and the last 2 minutes anyway.

Possible solution though, is to give them a few 45 gallon drums to roll up and down the isles, if they're sleepy.

Airline types...

Yep & if there is 12 inches of snow on your plane I'm guess'n you also say "gota go, can't be late"!!!

I think its great that the captain made this decision...I'm sure he knew it would be very controversial & would possibly get him in trouble. BUT he made it anyways...good for him

btw Have you ever heard of the I AM SAFE Policy?

wasYKnowFJ · Post by **wasYKnowFJ** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:08 pm

lol

If there's snow on my plane here, there's definitely a problem. Fiji just doesn't get much of that. It would indicate that Hell has definitely frozen over though.

Thanks for that.

BTW, It's not that I condone pushing limits, I just believe that some people don't try hard enough to find a solution to get things done.

angry inch · Post by **angry inch** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:37 pm

As I finish wiping the merlot that shot out my nose, off my screen, I am applauding wasYKnowFJ!! Just looking at your avatar tells me you don't give a shit... but the comments are priceless!

As for the sleepy airline crew... well... who am I to judge.

Last summer as I poked my head in to a crew lounge & saw a cute lil' F/A snoring away, the skipper proclaimed that they were just finishing DAY 4!!... "In a row?" I replied... "Yeah" sighed the saab captain, as I slid back out to the ramp to check in with my CP, who hadn't had a day off in recent memory...

"It's all RELATIVE"...

AI:)

tofo · Post by **tofo** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:47 pm

it's his decision to work those days, you can always say no.

Stan_Cooper · Post by **Stan_Cooper** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:32 pm

We all know how accurate the National Post or Toronto Star are when they report on aviation... Think the Times of India reported the facts?

splitpin · Post by **splitpin** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:58 pm

Here is the answer for wimps.

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/preventi ... _prot.html

bmc · Post by **bmc** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:18 am

phillyfan wrote:He should watch out. It was this same backward country that wanted Richard Gere killed for kissing some chick. I would have just done the flight.
http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/160 ... hilpa.html

India backwards? I hate to break it to you, but the future is in India and China, not Bob and Doug McKenzie Land.

mcrit · Post by **mcrit** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:55 am

I hate to break it to you, but the future is in India and China

No way! Even as we speak MI5 is working at provoking a nuclear exchange between the Middle Kingdom and the land of the sacred cow. After they have turned themselves into sweet and sour BBQed cinders, and the Americans have bled themselves dry in Iraq, the British Empire will step forth and install our beloved and eternal lady, Elizabeth Regina, as empress of the new world order. RULE BRITANIA!

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:05 am

mcrit....you know, you may not be far off the truth!

mcrit · Post by **mcrit** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:25 am

I really hope so Doc, cause I hate curry!