Air China Penalized After Smoking Pilot Causes Plane to Plunge
- CAAC orders cut in carrier’s short-haul flight hours by 10%
- Plane fell suddenly after pilot turned off air-conditioner
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Air China Ltd. is facing heat from regulators for a July 10 incident when a pilot, while smoking an electronic cigarette in the cockpit, caused the plane to go into a free-fall.
The co-pilot of a Boeing Co. 737 aircraft, flying from Hong Kong to Dalian, tried to turn off a circulation fan to prevent smoke from reaching the cabin, but ended up switching off the air-conditioner instead, according to an initial probe by the aviation safety regulator. That triggered a depressurization alert and resulted in rapid loss of altitude. Oxygen masks dropped as the plane plunged, but it eventually landed safely.