An investigation has been launched after a pilot flew dangerously low over his home town during his final journey.
The veteran pilot tried to celebrate his retirement by guiding a Boeing 757 a few meters above houses in Keflavik, Iceland.
The actions of this audacious aviator have since been labeled reckless by fellow pilots.
A Icelandair chief pilotLinda Gunnarsdottir, Said: “This is not standard practice; this is a very serious matter which we will review internally.”
The pilot in question is Captain Olafur Braggsson.
After more than forty years in the industry, the 65-year-old was reportedly embarking on his last journey.
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He was operating a commercial flight from Frankfurt to the frozen Icelandic city.
At one point, the plane flew over the volcanic archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar.
Located just off the southern coast of Iceland, Braggson regularly visited its challenging terrain as a child.
As the plane approached the urban area, residents reportedly became worried, fearing the plane was going to crash.
The pilot reportedly requested permission from Avions, which provides air navigation services, to change his flight path.
“When descending, the aircraft leaves controlled airspace, typically about 3000 feet, and then is in uncontrolled airspace, which means the pilot-in-command makes his own decisions about the flight,” the organization said.
Thankfully, no one was injured and Bragson eventually reached KeflavÃk International Airport.
Not surprisingly, Icelandair’s boss was not impressed by the pilot’s stupidity.
They claim Bragson pulled off the daring stunt without the airline’s knowledge or consent.
“In aviation, in normal passenger operations everything is strictly controlled by procedures and checklists, and this does not fall within that framework”, gunnarsdottir Said.
He said that although celebratory flyovers “do occur from time to time, it is by no means standard practice nor is it something we would authorize”.
“We apologize to the residents of Westmeander if they have experienced any inconvenience,” Gunn said.narsdóttir Said.
The city’s mayor, Iris Robertsdottir, said: “Like almost everything, there are different opinions on this flight, but I think the majority of residents are calm.”
An investigation is now underway to determine what exactly happened.
Icelandair has also reported the incident to the police and contacted the Icelandic Transport Authority.
Captain Olafur Braggsson has decided not to comment at this time.
