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Sri Lanka’s national airline grounded a captain who allegedly locked his copilot out of the cockpit after she took a mid-air toilet break.
The incident happened on a 10-hour Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Sydney to Colombo on Monday during which the woman copilot decided to take a toilet break, according to reports.
The pilot reportedly became enraged as she did not arrange for her substitute in the cockpit in line with standard operating procedures, leading to a tense standoff between the two mid-flight.
The pilot allegedly locked her out when she left to use the restroom, becoming the only person to be in the cockpit in violation of safety protocols.
The situation escalated to the point that a senior crew member on the flight had to intervene to break the standoff and have the copilot back in her chair.
The cabin crew member used a communication link to the cockpit to persuade the captain to open the door and let the co-pilot in.
Many airlines and aviation authorities enforce rules that require at least two qualified crew members to be present in the cockpit at all times during a flight. This rule was reinforced after incidents where lone pilots were left in control of the cockpit, leading to safety concerns.
In 2015, all 144 passengers and six crew members died on a Germanwings Flight 9525 after its pilot locked himself in the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane. The incident has led to several airlines tightening the rules around cockpit occupancy.
In 2022, two pilots of Air-France were suspended following a physical altercation in the cockpit. The two pilots exchanged blows during the flight which eventually landed safely.
