Social media is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is a powerful tool to share our day to day and find out how our friends and acquaintances are doing. But on the other… it can create somewhat complicated situations.
And if not, tell the pilots who imprudently placed their breakfast —namely, a couple of coffees and some pasties— on the controls of the Boeing 737 they were flying and who, at that moment, was with the autopilot to 37,000 feet altitude.
The photograph soon went viral and was filled with outraged comments. If you don’t have time and want to know the end of this story, both pilots were penalized and have been banned from flying as a precautionary measurealthough the air regulator will sanction them when the investigation is finished.
Spilled coffee on the controls, a prelude to a tragedy
Let’s go with the data: what is seen in the controversial snapshot are the controls of a Boeing 737 of the Indian airline SpiceJet. As we have previously pointed out, at the time of the photo, the plane was in full flight and at cruising altitude.
You’ll be thinking… What’s the problem with pilots having breakfast and sharing their moment in a photograph? It is a behavior that involves very serious risks: if at that moment there is turbulence, the coffee (which does not have a lid), would spill on the controls, which would possibly be inspiring.
In fact, air regulations are very strict regarding the consumption of food in the cabin by pilots, and expressly prohibits doing so while flying, due to the extremely serious risk involved in the event of turbulence or any other incident that may arise.
The reaction of the Indian air regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCV), has been withering: as soon as the photo went viral on Twitter, it contacted SpiceJet, which, by then, had already identified and sanctioned the pilots involved, prohibiting them from flying until the investigation was concluded.
So… Can’t the pilots have a coffee in full flight? The answer is ‘yes’, but with certain conditions that must be followed to the letter: the glasses must have a lid and never, under any circumstances, rest on any element of the control panel. Additionally, drinks must be held on a tray with holders that hold the glass.
If you think that all this is an exaggeration, an aviation expert has confirmed on Twitter that if that glass of coffee is spilled on the controls, the liquid would destroy the internal electronics, the pilots would lose control of the ship, and surely, the communication with the control tower.
