"Didn't Say Go"... Captain Locks Cockpit Door When First Officer Goes to Bathroom

SriLanka Airlines States "Will Fully Cooperate with Investigation"

A dispute between pilots occurred on a passenger plane in flight, leading the captain to prevent the first officer from entering the cockpit.

On the 15th (local time), according to Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror and others, SriLankan Airlines issued a statement the previous day announcing that the Civil Aviation Authority, Sri Lanka's aviation regulatory body, has begun an investigation into the incident that took place on flight UL607 from Sydney, Australia to Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 21st of last month. SriLankan Airlines stated, "The company is fully cooperating with the authorities."

Stock photo of an airplane cockpit unrelated to the article content

The incident occurred when the captain and first officer in the cockpit of the aircraft got into an argument. After the plane took off, the first officer asked the captain for permission to use the restroom. However, this led to a conflict between the two, and when the first officer left the cockpit to go to the restroom, the captain reportedly locked the cockpit door before another pilot could enter.

According to standard operating procedures for aircraft, when the first officer leaves the cockpit during long-haul flights, another pilot on standby must enter the cockpit to maintain a two-person crew. However, the captain prevented this and remained alone in the cockpit for some time. Flight attendants intervened and persuaded the captain, after which the first officer was able to return to the cockpit. Fortunately, the aircraft arrived at its destination without any incidents. SriLankan Airlines announced that the captain involved has been suspended from flying pending the investigation results.

Meanwhile, SriLankan Airlines is a state-owned airline with the majority of shares held by the Sri Lankan government. It has been suffering from chronic deficits amid challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided bailout funds to Sri Lanka last year and demanded restructuring of SriLankan Airlines, which has been running large deficits. In this context, SriLankan Airlines is reportedly currently facing difficulties such as a shortage of crew members.