Pilot error creates midair scare

Mumbai: At least 30 passengers on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur suffered nose and ear bleeding Thursday after the crew "forgot" to turn on a switch that controls cabin air pressure during the ascent, following which the government ordered a safety audit plan for airlines, officials said.

Jet Airways later said it has derostered the cockpit crew concerned, who will remain off duties pending investigation. Several passengers on the Mumbai- Jaipur flight 9W-697 -- carrying 166 persons and five crew on board -- complained of severe headache and pain in the ears after the take-off around 6 am from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

The flight was forced to return soon after the take-off, a Jet Airways spokesperson said. The ailing passengers were deboarded and rushed to the terminal building where they were administered first aid by doctors. At least five male passengers, whose condition was worse, were taken to Nanavati Hospital and kept under observation after undergoing various tests.