Top Gun: Capt Monicaa Khanna, the pilot who dodged a disaster with her right ‘approach’

  On June 19 this year, when one of the engines of the Delhi-bound Boeing 737 SpiceJet aircraft caught fire mid-air, moments after take-off from Patna airport, the top most priority before Captain Monicaa Khanna, the Pilot-in-Command of the aircraft, was the safety of passengers.

After all, there were 185 passengers on board and their lives depended entirely on Captain Monicaa and her moves. The situation was grave and one wrong move could up in a disaster of enormous proportions. 

But Monicaa kept her cool and so did the first officer Balpreet Singh Bhatia. She swiftly took the well-thought-out call of switching off the affected engine, followed all SOPs and made an emergency landing at Patna airport saving all lives on board.

“Duty comes first in such challenging times. My job demands situation awareness and spontaneity,” smiles Captain Monicaa Khanna, speaking exclusively to Global Indian. 

Her wit and bravery not only earned her accolades worldwide, many even compared her to Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger, known for his heroism after he landed a US Airways flight 1549 in Hudson River following a bird strike which disabled both engines, saving all 155 lives on board. “In my case, the passengers remained calm and I am grateful to them for that,” says Monicaa.

The pilot says there was no moment to sulk in, that day. “Our reflex actions quickly triggered us into taking all necessary steps to safely land the flight on ground,” recalls Monicaa, who has flown to Dubai and Hong Kong besides several routes domestically. 

She completed her flight training from Bluebird Flight Academy in Canada, which is one of the best flying schools, internationally.


Read Full Story Here : https://www.globalindian.com/story/global-indian-exclusive/top-gun-capt-monicaa-khanna-the-pilot-who-dodged-a-disaster-with-her-right-approach/ 

Location: India

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