Air India orders probe; pilot taken off roster.
An Air India pilot allegedly assaulted a flight engineer inside the cockpit of Chennai-Paris flight AI 143 this morning. Initial reports suggest that pilot Manicklal and the engineer Kannan had an argument inside the cockpit over delay in flight departure following which the pilot assaulted the engineer.
Kannan was bleeding from the nose and has been taken to a hospital.
The flight, with 142 people onboard, took off after a two-hour delay as the engineer was reportedly insisting on filing a police complaint.
The pilot Manicklal, who had locked himself up inside the cockpit, has now been taken for medical examination.
Air India officials said a probe has been ordered into the incident and the pilot has been taken off the roster.