[Video] Pilots Fired After Letting A 10-Year-Old Commandeer The Plane During A Flight\
Two pilots of Algeria’s national carrier, Air Algerie, had their licenses suspended after letting a 10-year-old boy to assume control of an airplane in the middle of a flight.
Air Algerie Flight AH-6216 was flying for a domestic flight from Algiers to Setif, when the flight crew invited the child into the cockpit.
The uncommon occasion was intended for a TV episode of a charity show, where an aspiring child would be given a chance to delve into his dream career.
The pilots, who remained unnamed, were filmed allowing the boy, who is reportedly an orphan, to sit in the co-pilot’s chair while interacting with the controls under the guidance of the pilots.
According to the Aviation Herald, the footage was then aired by Algeria’s El Bilad TV on July 26.
The boy was seen wearing a captain’s hat and blazer, and the captain gave positive comments for the child in the TV show.
“He was very disciplined, calm and attentive. I am sure he will be a good pilot,” said the pilot.
After the broadcast, the pilots were arrested for permitting the child to enter the cockpit and control the airplane mid-flight.
On July 28, Algeria’s Directorate Of Civil Aviation And Meteorology (DACM) confirmed the occurrence and reported the suspension of the flight crew.
Passengers of a flight are rarely given a chance to enter the cockpit when the plane is on the ground, and even rarer when the plane is in the middle of a flight, for security reasons.
In 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 from Moscow to Hong Kong crashed, resulting in deaths of all 75 people on board, after the pilot’s teenage son was allowed into the cockpit and accidentally switched off the plane’s autopilot.
-- Malaysian Digest
