Virgin Atlantic flight to NYC forced to return to London after pilot makes STARTLING discovery

The plane was flying over Ireland when the captain was informed of something.

UPDATED MAY 6, 2022

The Virgin Atlantic A330 flight from Heathrow to New York was forced to return to London due to a rostering error (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A Virgin Atlantic aircraft to New York was forced to return to London because one of the pilots had not completed his final flying test and the other wasn't certified as a trainer for him. The plane was flying over Ireland when the captain was informed that the first officer had not finished his training. Only 40 minutes into the journey, the Airbus A330 was forced to return to Heathrow.

The plane's first officer, who joined VA in 2017, had not completed the airline's "final evaluation flight," according to the report. The officer, however, was qualified to fly under UK aviation standards. Besides, the flight's captain lacked "designated trainer status," indicating that the team was not adhering to the company's regulations. Passengers arrived in the United States roughly three hours later than scheduled after the plane, which can carry over 300 passengers, was forced to wait on the runway for a certified replacement.

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The airline issued an apology to passengers and explained that the problem was caused by a rota error. It further reassured passengers that their safety had not been jeopardized, since both pilots were properly licensed and competent to fly the aircraft. To fly in accordance with Virgin Atlantic rules, the co-pilot required a "final assessment flight" with a training captain. As the flight's first officer, he was in charge of ensuring the flight's safety. First officers, as trained pilots, are also expected to assist the captain in communicating with air traffic control and operating the plane. While the pilot pairing did not violate any aviation or safety standards, it did not adhere to Virgin Atlantic's internal training requirements.

Julie and Marc Vincent from Bournemouth, who were on the plane, told MailOnline that the airplane staff blamed the situation on a clerical error. Mrs. Vincent said: "We'd just cleared the west coast of Ireland when the captain announced 'you may have noticed that we have conducted a 180-degree turn' before telling us that we were returning to Heathrow due to an 'administration error' and that they needed to get some paperwork signed off legally to be able to continue our journey."

He added, "Panic did set in onboard, particularly when upon landing people jumped out of their seats and started to pace up and down wanting more information. At least three people in high vis vests entered the cockpit for an amount of time before curtains were drawn to hide our view."

Another passenger, named Mary Ingram, told MailOnline: "There was a certain amount of concern that something may have been wrong with the plane, so on landing, we were all relieved when that went smoothly. It didn't help that the pilot or co-pilot told us to note our nearest exit in the pre-landing announcement. We were not allowed off the plane while we sat on the Tarmac for what was about another half an hour for re-fuelling, and what I now know replacement of the co-pilot."

Another source told The Sun, "You could have cut the tension in the cockpit with a knife. The plane got as far as Ireland and then they found out the first officer was still in training. The skipper had no choice but to go back to Heathrow and find a more experienced member of the crew. It was embarrassing for everyone and the passengers were furious."

A Virgin Atlantic spokesman informed MailOnline: "Due to a rostering error, flight VS3 from London Heathrow to New York-JFK returned to Heathrow on Monday, May 2 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 apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers who arrived two hours, 40 minutes later than scheduled as a result of the crew change."

The Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom told several media sites that both pilots were "qualified to undertake the flight."