An easyJet pilot has been grounded for flying his passenger aircraft too close to a mountain in Egypt, according to reports.
Captain Paul Elsworth’s Airbus A320 reportedly came within 900ft of disaster when it descended towards the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
Pilots usually clear the mountain range at about 6,000ft.
But the 61-year-old allegedly flew over the 2,329ft peak at around 3,300ft with up to 190 passengers and crew on board.
The Sun, that first reported on the incident, said a ground proximity warning system in the cockpit was triggered and an alert rang out: “Pull up, terrain, terrain, pull up, pull up, terrain ahead, pull up”.
Easyjet denied a last-gasp manoeuvre prevented an accident.
The aircraft, which had taken off from Manchester, should have been travelling slower and with a shallower rate of descent, experts said.
An official investigation has begun into the drama aboard flight EZY2251 on February 2.
Once home, Capt Elsworth, who lives in Cheshire, was officially stood down from duty.
According to The Sun, he said it would be inappropriate to comment.
In 2016, Capt Elsworth made headlines when his then 19-year-old son Luke became the youngest professional pilot, also working for easyJet.
In a statement, the airline told the Standard: “Safety is the number one priority for all our pilots, they are trained to the highest industry standards, subject to rigorous testing and monitored closely.
“The flight landed normally and as we have an ongoing investigation, the pilot remains stood down from duty in line with procedures.”
