TAIPEI: Taiwanese airline Eva Air has grounded a pilot and begun an internal investigation following an alleged physical altercation with his Malaysian first officer while their aircraft was taxiing at Los Angeles International Airport,
The Rakyat Post reported.
The incident reportedly occurred after the first officer noticed the Taiwanese captain taxiing above the 30-knot (55.5km) speed limit and warned him several times.
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When the warnings were ignored, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating procedure.
The captain allegedly reacted by punching the first officer multiple times, causing swelling and bruising on the back of one hand.
A whistleblower claimed no emergency response was activated after the incident and that the captain, described as emotionally unstable, was allowed to continue operating the flight.
The aircraft reportedly departed and proceeded to its destination with the same crew despite the earlier physical confrontation.
In a statement issued recently, Eva Air said data from the aircraft’s Quick Access Recorder showed the plane was complying with taxiing regulations and was not speeding.
The airline said it had suspended the captain from flying duties and launched an internal investigation, while Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration has also opened a probe and may impose penalties if flight safety was affected.
