2 Air France pilots fight in cockpit during flight; airline suspends them!

Paris – Problems in the cockpit, leaving a leaky engine running while sailing over Africa – Air France pilots are under scrutiny after recent incidents that prompted French investigators to demand stricter safety protocols.

An Air France official said on Sunday that two Air France pilots were grounded after a physical fight in the cockpit on a flight from Geneva to Paris in June. The official said that the flight continued and landed safely, and the dispute did not affect the rest of the flight, stressing the airline’s commitment to safety.

French newspaper La Tribune reported that the pilot and co-pilot had a dispute shortly after take-off, with the two holding each other by their collars after apparently hitting each other. The report stated that the cabin crew intervened and a crew member spent the flight in the cockpit with the pilots.

News of the fight emerged after the French air investigation agency BEA, Released a report on Wednesday He said some Air France pilots lack rigor in respecting procedures during safety incidents.

See also: Two pilots allegedly fell asleep on a flight from New York City to Rome while the plane was flying 38,000 feet above the ground.

It focused on the fuel leak on an Air France flight from Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo to Paris in December 2020, when pilots redirected the plane but did not cut the power to the engine or land as quickly as possible, as the leak procedures require. The plane landed safely in Chad, but a British aviation agency report warned that the engine could catch fire.

She reported three similar cases between 2017 and 2022, and said some pilots are acting on their own analysis of the situation rather than safety protocols.

Air France said it was conducting a safety audit in response. It pledged to follow the BEA’s recommendations, which include allowing pilots to study their flights afterward and making training manuals stricter about adherence to the procedure.

The airline indicated that it flies thousands of flights daily, and the report only mentioned four safety incidents.

Air France pilots’ unions have insisted that security is paramount for all pilots and have advocated for pilots’ procedures during emergencies.

The bureau also investigated an incident in April involving an Air France flight from JFK in New York that had flight control problems as it approached landing in Paris.