Virgin Flight Returns to London Due to ‘Untrained’ Pilot

Imagine sitting on a plane, listening to the safety brief, then settling in for a long flight ahead of you. Then an announcement comes over the intercom that you’re turning back. There could be all kinds of reasons to turn around, but what is the most terrifying one? Some of you may have answered the airline didn’t fully train the pilot. This happened to an entire Virgin flight as it had to turn back due to a pilot being untrained. 

Virgin Flight Turns Back Due to ‘Untrained’ Pilot

A Virgin Atlantic bound for New York’s JFK Airport turned back to London Heathrow. Less than an hour into the journey on Monday, Flight VS3 decided to turn back to London amidst a “rostering error.” The reason given was the first officer hadn’t completed the airline’s final flying test.

The airline said that the company’s fifth-year pilot is qualified per UK flight regulations. However, the pilot needed to complete the airline’s internal “final assessment” flight. Virgin Atlantic said the flight’s “highly experienced” captain is a Virgin Atlantic veteran of 17 years. But, he did not have the designated trainer status, and the airline replaced the first officer. 

Both pilots were fully qualified to operate the aircraft, according to the company. They reiterated the pair did not breach any FAA or safety regulations. However, Virgin Atlantic said the situation was not compliant with their own internal training protocols, prompting them to turn back. 

“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,” a representative said on Monday. “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.”

Even though it’s a simple mistake and no one was in danger, it’s an auspicious start for Delta’s new investment.