A plane flying to the United States had to return to the UK 40 minutes into the flight, reportedly because a pilot was still in training. The Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 was from Heathrow Airport to JFK airport in New York.
Passengers were returned to Heathrow after the first officer told the captain he had not yet completed his last flying test, BirminghamLive reports. It was then that flight VS3 had to U-turn over Ireland and head back to the airport near London.
A spokesman from Virgin Atlantic said: “Due to a rostering error, flight VS3 from London Heathrow to New York-JFK returned to Heathrow on Monday 2nd May shortly after take-off. The qualified first officer, who was flying alongside an experienced captain, was replaced with a new pilot to ensure full compliance with Virgin Atlantic’s training protocols, which exceed industry standards.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers who arrived two hours, 40 minutes later than scheduled as a result of the crew change.”
A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said: "Virgin Atlantic have made us aware of the incident. Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight."
The Sun quoted a source as saying: “The skipper had no choice but to go back to Heathrow and find a more experienced member of the crew. It was embarrassing for everyone and the passengers were furious.”
The initial first officer joined the carrier in 2017. He was fully qualified under UK aviation regulations but had not completed a final assessment flight which is part of the airline’s internal requirements.
Flight VS3 turned back as the captain had not been designated as a trainer. Control of an aircraft is usually shared between a first officer and the captain, but the latter holds ultimate responsibility for what happens on a flight.
