IndiGo pilot who landed on nose wheel failed licence test 7 times

CHENNAI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has revoked a woman pilot's licence alleging she used forged papers to get her airline transport pilot licence (ATPL), mandatory for an aircraft captain.

On January 11, IndiGo pilot Captain Parminder Kaur Gulati made a rough landing at Goa airport. When the plane flew back to Delhi, its nose wheel had developed a snag.

Investigations found fault with Gulati's landing technique and she was grounded. She used the nose wheel to touch down instead of using the rear landing gear. Further investigations showed she had used the wrong technique several times.

"We have revoked her licence. The pilot seems to have obtained an ATPL by submitting forged documents. We are going to file a police complaint," director-general of civil aviation Bharat Bhushan told TOI. The DGCA is probing how she got her ATPL after having failed the examination seven times.

Pilots aspiring to become captains must log 1,500 flying hours, pass an examination that comprises three papers: navigation, metrology and radio aids.