Investigation Underway After Captain Locked Co-Pilot Out Of Flight Deck On SriLankan Airlines

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A bizarre incident occurred recently on a SriLankan Airlines flight from Sydney to Colombo in which the captain locked the first officer out of the cockpit. Following the serious breach of protocol, the pilot was grounded, and the airline is investigating the matter.

On the rare occasion when two pilots operating an aircraft do not get along, they are still expected to remain professional throughout the duration of the flight for the safety of the aircraft and those onboard. However, that was not the case on a recent SriLankan Airlines flight UL 607 from Sydney to Colombo.

The flight took off without incident and seemed set for its 10+ hour journey to Colombo, but soon, there were some tense moments during the service. The first officer decided to take a toilet break, and according to protocols, a cabin crew member needed to be in the cockpit to accompany the pilot flying.

But in the brief moment when the first officer was waiting to enter the lavatory and the crew member to enter the cockpit, the captain locked the door, becoming the only person on the flight deck.

While the exact nature of the disagreement between the two pilots is not known, the captain was clearly rattled enough to take this extremely unprofessional step to lock his co-pilot out. According to EconomyNext, senior cabin crew members had to persuade the captain via the communication link to let the first officer in, but not before the whole thing created some tense moments during the flight.

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Thankfully, the aircraft landed safely in Colombo, with no harm done to either the aircraft or anyone onboard. But this was a major breach of protocol and the first officer lodged a formal complaint upon landing. The carrier has grounded the captain and released the following statement:

“Sri Lankan Airlines confirms that an investigation is currently underway in accordance with civil aviation regulations regarding the incident on flight UL 607 from Sydney to Colombo on 21st September 2024.

“The airline is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities, and the captain has been grounded pending the outcome of the investigation. Safety and compliance with all regulatory requirements remain Sri Lankan Airlines’ top priorities.”

While pilots are allowed to leave the cockpit mid-flight for things like toilet breaks, international protocols require two people to be present on the flight deck at any given time. In case the cockpit has a third relief pilot, there is no issue, but in a two-pilot operation, a flight attendant must be present until the other pilot returns.

Cockpit rules changed drastically after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which showed that aircraft can be used as deadly weapons if cockpit security is compromised. The Germanwings crash in 2015, where a mentally disturbed pilot deliberately flew an Airbus A320 into the ground after locking the captain out, was pivotal in bringing about changes to rules and the presence of at least two people in the cockpit at all times.

We take a look at the regulations surrounding pilots stepping out of the flight deck in the sky.

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Should be a concern to all "professional" pilots everywhere. That guy shouldn't even be allowed near an airport for the rest of his life.

Eerily similar to the Germanwings flight that the FO crashed on purpose.

Cockpit security was compromised and this is a serious matter. Captain must be reprimanded.

Not reprimanded but fired

There's nothing more serious than this. Immediate termination and withdrawal of certificate is in order.

My first thoght was why did the FO leave the flight deck prior to a flight attendant being present IN the cockpit. Sounds like there is a captain who should lose his license.

I actually wasn’t aware of that rule, but it’s seems like it is an excellent policy if it were followed.

It is really shocking

The captain will no longer be welcome in Australia as a crew member if the incident occurred in Australian airspace.

Great example of why to never fly a thirdd world airline! 10 hour flight with only two crew does not happen with quality airlines!

Germanwings was from a major country.

Sri Lankan Airlines is generally a quality airline, given that it is part of the Oneworld group and their high standards. I think in this case, the fault lays 100% with the captain who acted completely unprofessionally. Perhaps all airlines should conduct greater pilot background checks.

A bizarre incident occurred recently on a SriLankan Airlines flight from Sydney to Colombo in which the captain locked the first officer out of the cockpit.

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