Archive for ‘Chinese pilot’

09/12/2019

Chinese pilot turns plane round on runway to let bereaved couple leave flight

  • Couple received bad news as the Hainan Airlines plane was taxiing but returned to departure gate so they could get off
The Hainan Airlines flight returned to the departure gate to let the couple off. Photo: Reuters
The Hainan Airlines flight returned to the departure gate to let the couple off. Photo: Reuters
A Chinese plane turned round on the runway after a couple on board suffered a sudden bereavement.
The Hainan Airlines flight was due to fly from Hangzhou to Sanya on Sunday when the passengers asked to be let off so they could make alternative travel plans.
“The flight was due to take off on time, all preparations had been made. The plane was already taxiing,” one unnamed passenger told Pear Video.
“The air stewardess immediately comforted the elderly couple, told them not to worry and said that she had already contacted the captain … then an in-flight announcement was made so that everyone could understand the situation.”
“[W]e were moments before take-off. Someone suddenly said their relative had passed away and wanted to get off the plane,” the passenger wrote on social media in a post shared by Pear Video.
Chinese woman opens plane’s emergency exit for some fresh air, delaying flight

“Cabin crew contacted the captain and we are now returning to the departure terminal. I can only say that the deceased must have been important.”

The plane returned to the departure gate, where the elderly couple got off and made other travel arrangements. The flight was able to continue after a 50-minute delay.

An unnamed flight attendant told video news outlet Kankan News that they often encountered unexpected situations during flights, and that everyone was able to understand Sunday’s situation.

However, some social media users were not so sympathetic.

“I want to know, did they get the consent of all the passengers before the plane was turned around? If not, then I feel like the flight should take off at the scheduled time … otherwise people might think that these elderly passengers pulled some strings behind the scenes with the cabin crew,” wrote one user on Weibo.

Source: SCMP

05/11/2019

Chinese pilot banned from flying after passenger cockpit photo

Photo taken from microblogging site WeiboImage copyright WEIBO/SCREENSHOT
Image caption The female passenger is seen here with her fingers in a V pose, also known as the peace sign

A Chinese pilot has been banned from flying after a photo went viral showing a female passenger in the cockpit.

The photo was taken in January on an Air Guilin flight from Guilin city to Yangzhou city, state media said, but was widely shared this week – causing the airline to take action.

It shows a woman posing in the cockpit with refreshments laid out next to her.

Air Guilin said in a statement the pilot had violated air safety regulations.

‘Thanks to the captain’

The incident took place on 4 January on flight GT1011 from Guilin city to Yangzhou city, according to state media outlet The Global Times.

But it was brought to the airline’s attention on Sunday after screenshots of the alleged passenger’s post started being shared widely on micro-blogging site Weibo.

The post showed the woman making a V sign with her fingers – a popular pose in China – with the photo captioned: “Thanks to the captain. So happy.”

The woman is rumoured to be a flight attendant in training at a Guilin university, according to news site Chinese News Service.

Air Guilin did not specify if the photo was taken mid-flight, but Chinese pilots and analysts said the photo appears to have been taken during the flight.

The pilot, who was not named, has been banned from flying for life, though it is unclear if he was fired from all roles by the airline.

Air Guilin said in a statement that he had “violated [regulations] by allowing irrelevant personnel into the cockpit”.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, passengers are not allowed to enter the cockpit without special approval or under “necessary” circumstances.

Other staff members involved in the incident have also been “suspended indefinitely” while further investigations are held.

“Passengers’ safety is always Air Guilin’s priority. We take a zero-tolerance approach against any inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour that might risk the aviation safety,” the Chinese carrier said.

Last year, Chinese carrier Donghai Airlines suspended a pilot for six months and revoked his qualifications as a flight instructor after he allowed his wife to go inside the cockpit.

Source: The BBC

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