BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s aviation regulator is looking into an alleged mid-air dispute between crew members on a recent Donghai Airlines domestic flight, he said late Monday, voting a tough penalty for any action that endangered flight safety.
Donghai Airlines said it immediately stopped crew members involved in the fight and launched a safety correction campaign to close gaps in safety management.
Neither China Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) nor the airline provided details of the incident.
But the incident went viral on social media after a WeChat account aimed at planes reported that a skirmish had broken out between the captain and a member of a cabinet crew on a DZ6297 flight from Nantong to Xian 50 minutes before arrival. it landed on February 20th.
The fight between the two men began after a passenger was found in the hallway outside a bathroom used by the team, Caixin media group said, citing industry sources.
The captain blamed the flight attendant for not clearing his way to the bathroom and accused him of forgetting his duties, Caixin said.
Passengers are not allowed to approach the bathroom when pilots use the toilet because of the risk of an attack that could cause a safety emergency, former pilot Chen Jianguo told Caixin.
Donghai Airlines had previously attracted attention on social media when one of its pilots let his wife get into the cock to steal a ride.
China is a sticker for aviation safety, having maintained a strong safety record for more than a decade. Minor misconduct by airline employees is usually severely punished.
Reporting with Stella Qiu in Beijing and Jamie Freed in Sydney; Edited by Ana Nicolaci da Costa