Why Were 4 Pilots Aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073?
New York Times · LC · trust 51/100
After the co-pilot stabbed the captain, two pilots who were seated in the cabin intervened alongside passengers and safely landed the Boeing 737 in Saudi Arabia.
Listen · 4:12 min Share full article A FlyDubai plane carried passengers to Tel Aviv on Wednesday after a midair cockpit attack on their earlier flight. Two other pilots who were seated in the cabin safely landed that plane. Credit... Erik Marmor/Getty Images By Karla Adam
For the most part, airlines do not intentionally staff shorter flights with a backup flight crew simply as a precaution, because paying two sets of pilots is expensive. However, pilots routinely hitch rides on flights they are not operating — a practice known in the industry as “deadheading” — to position themselves where they are needed next.
In a statement , FlyDubai confirmed that “on-duty FlyDubai crew traveling on the flight” safely landed the plane. Because deadheading pilots are on company assignment, they are technically considered on duty, receive pay and are forbidden to consume alcohol. Wearing a uniform is optional.
John Cox, a retired airline captain and aviation safety consultant, said the extra pilots were most likely being moved to where they needed to be for their next assigned flight. “We move pilots all around the world,” Mr. Cox said.
Mr. Cox was skeptical that an airline would deploy additional pilots on a relatively short flight simply as routine insurance against potential delays. “Pilots are expensive,” he said. “They are highly trained, but also highly compensated. From a business standpoint, you want the right number of pilots at the right place at the right time. You don’t want to be paying for more than you need.”
Another possibility is that FlyDubai needed a second crew to fly the plane on its return leg to Dubai because the operating crew would have exceeded its legal duty limits and required mandatory rest, aviation industry experts said.
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