US Flight Forced To Turn Back After Crew Realises Mid-air That Pilot Was Still In Training

Human errors are only natural but sometimes they can cause a great deal of inconvenience to others. According to reports, a Virgin Atlantic flight was forced to turn back to the UK as the pilot flying the aircraft was still in training.

The airlines apologised to passengers after the crew informed them that they won't be reaching their destination in time. The flight was on its way to New York's JFK Airport from London's Heathrow when it had to turn back mid-route due to the pairing of the two pilots - one of whom was still in training.

FlightRadar24

The plane was roughly 40 minutes into its journey when the error was realised. This blunder added a delay of almost three hours to the scheduled arrival time. The airlines has since apologised for the incident, adding that it was due to a roster mistake. Both pilots were fully licensed and qualified to operate the aircraft, however, the experienced captain did not hold designated trainer status.

Despite the pairing of pilots not being in breach of any regulations, it still didn't comply with Virgin Atlantic's internal training protocols. It was decided that the plane should turn back for a crew change so that the 'qualified first officer' could be replaced with a new pilot.

The flight arrived in New York two hours and 40 minutes later than the scheduled time.

As per a LADbible report, Virgin Atlantic said: "Due to a rostering error, flight VS3 from London Heathrow to New York-JFK returned to Heathrow on Monday 2nd May shortly after take-off. The qualified first officer, who was flying alongside an experienced captain, was replaced with a new pilot to ensure full compliance with Virgin Atlantic¡¯s training protocols, which exceed industry standards. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers who arrived two hours, 40 minutes later than scheduled as a result of the crew change.¡±

Virgin (Representational image)

According to a report by The Sun, passengers were furious as they reached Ireland only to find out that they'd be heading back to London.

They said: ¡°You could have cut the tension in the cockpit with a knife. The plane got as far as Ireland and then they found out the first officer was still in training. The skipper had no choice but to go back to Heathrow and find a more experienced member of the crew. It was embarrassing for everyone and the passengers were furious.¡±

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said: "Virgin Atlantic have made us aware of the incident. Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight."

Financial Times (Representational image)

Quotes from LADbible and The Sun.

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