Two pilots in India have been suspended after a photo of them engaged in behavior that is considered dangerous went viral.
Mohan Ranganathan shared the photo, taken on the flight deck of SpiceJet airline, according to reports.
In the photo, the pilots can be seen eating samosas, a kind of empanadas popular in India, but more worrying is the presence of a hot beverage that could be tea or coffee near the controls on the plane’s center pedestal.
Criminal act?
“The central pedestal is not a table. Even in light turbulence coffee can fall on electronic components, which can damage systems. This is a criminal act,” Ranganathan said.
CNN spoke with Shakti Lumba, a retired pilot and one-time operations manager for IndiGO Airlines, who called the photo “immature” and “undesirable.”
“It was totally inexplicable behavior. All pilots are aware of the damage that a liquid spill in the cockpit can cause,” he said.
A SpiceJet spokesperson indicated to. CNN That both pilots have been furloughed pending an investigation.
