Virgin plane turns back after it emerges first officer had not completed test
The Airbus A330 to New York returned to Heathrow on Monday when the two pilots on board became aware of the error.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Virgin Atlantic aircraft turned back to Heathrow after it emerged the first officer had not completed his final flying test.
The Airbus A330 jet was nearly 40 minutes into its journey to New York on Monday when the two pilots on board became aware of the “rostering error”, the airline said.
Flight VS3 had reached the skies above Ireland before returning to Heathrow, touching down more than one-and-a-half hours after it took off.
A replacement for the first officer was found, and the plane departed again for New York.
Virgin Atlantic insists safety was not compromised.
The initial first officer joined the carrier in 2017.
The qualified first officer... was replaced with a new pilot to ensure full compliance with Virgin Atlantic’s training protocols, which exceed industry standards
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.
A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman 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 and 40 minutes later than scheduled as a result of the crew change.”
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said: “Virgin Atlantic has made us aware of the incident. Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight.”