"‘What If It Spills?’ Coffee Spilled 11km Above Ground: Indian Pilot Disciplined"

Expert: "Risk of malfunction if overloaded... Criminal act"

Two Indian commercial pilots were banned from flying after drinking coffee without lids and even eating dumplings in the cockpit.

According to BBC on the 16th (local time), Indian airline SpiceJet placed two pilots on standby the previous day after photos surfaced showing them eating in the cockpit.

[Photo by Twitter @Mohan_Rngnathan]

A photo posted on Twitter on the 14th by Indian aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganathan shows a cup of coffee without a lid placed under the thrust lever. The pilot is also seen holding an Indian-style fried dumpling. The coffee cup bore the SpiceJet logo.

According to Indian aviation law, all pilots and crew members on board must have lids on beverages brought into the cabin, and food must be carried on trays. This is to prevent spills that could cause malfunctions if the plane shakes.

Criticism intensified as reports emerged that the plane was flying at 37,000 feet (about 11 km) at the time.

Ranganathan pointed out, "Even slight turbulence could cause coffee to spill onto the aircraft's electronic equipment and damage the system," calling it "a criminal act."

Indian aviation authorities requested the airline to identify the pilots. The airline immediately banned the two pilots from flying and stated that it is investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.

The flight reportedly departed from Delhi, where the Hindu festival Holi had taken place, and was en route to Guwahati in the northeast on the 8th, but other specific details have not yet been confirmed, BBC reported.

SpiceJet explained, "It is unclear when the photo was taken, whether it was recent or a long time ago, whether the individuals in the photo are crew members, or even if the incident occurred on the aircraft in question," adding that further investigation will continue.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.