Show-cause notice given to pilot ‘for sleeping on duty’

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued a show-cause notice to one of its senior pilots, Amir Hashmi, for “compromising safety of passengers and aircraft” by allegedly taking a nap during a flight after leaving the plane in the care of a trainee pilot, according to sources.

The notice issued last Tuesday by the chief of the PIA’s human resources department, Raheel Ahmed, on the basis of evidence available in the case has given Mr Hashmi seven days to respond to the allegations levelled against him.

A passenger on the flight concerned had filed a complaint against the pilot and the senior purser (airhostess) had mentioned the incident in her report.

In response to Dawn’s queries, spokesperson for PIA Mashhood Tajwar confirmed on Friday that a show-cause notice had been sent to Mr Hashmi and that the pilot had been asked to respond to it within a week; otherwise it would be presumed that he had no defence.

Formal investigations have shown that contents of media reports about the incident may be corroborated with the evidence on record, says the show-cause notice.

“This is a case of gross negligence and violation of standard operating procedures, which has resulted in compromising the safety of the aircraft as well as the passengers,” reads the notice.

“The responsibility… [for] the said alleged negligence has been solely apportioned upon you by the said investigation.

“On the basis of the above mentioned allegations you are charged with committing the violation of regulation 40 of PIAC Employees Service and Discipline regulations 1985 by not conforming to applicable law, rules and regulations and misusing your position as operating captain of the said flight, thereby compromising the safety of the flight as well as causing disrepute to the company.

“The above act on your part constitutes misconduct under the following clauses of the Section II, Regulation 75 of the PIA Employees Service and Discipline Regulations 1985 (as amended up to date): (a) breach, disregard, disobedience or evasion of applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders or instructions; (b) negligence, inefficiency, inattention or inordinate delay in the performance of duty, or careless or wasteful working (ae) sleeping on duty; (ap) any act of omission or commission which embarrasses the corporation or the country or whereby image of the corporation or the country is adversely affected by bad publicity.

“You are hereby called upon to show cause as to why disciplinary action may not be initiated against you on account of the above mentioned misconduct,” said the notice.

Copies of the notice have been sent to various PIA officials, including its chief operating officer and flight operations chief.

In a statement issued on May 8, Mr Hashmi had contradicted the report of his catching up on his sleep during a flight after leaving the plane in the care of a trainee pilot.

Source: Dawn