An in-flight punch-up between a pilot and flight attendant, in a dispute over the use of a first-class toilet, ended with the pilot having a tooth knocked out and the flight attendant breaking an arm, according to shock allegations.
The fight broke out on a flight operated by Donghai Airlines, based in Shenzhen in the Chinese province of Guangdong, after a passenger ignored instructions to return to their seat, the South China Morning Post reported.
The Hong Kong paper said the Chinese carrier had suspended a male pilot and a male flight attendant after allegations the pair assaulted each other during a flight.
The argument erupted on flight DZ6297 from Nantong to Xian, on 20 February, 50 minutes before landing, according to Chinese media reports cited by the paper.
The pilot was using the bathroom in the plane’s first-class section when a first-class cabin passenger also wished to use the toilet. The pilot asked the passenger to wait in their seat, but the passenger ignored the request, social media posts said.
On leaving the toilet, the pilot was apparently peeved to find the first-class passenger still waiting outside. The pilot felt the flight attendant should have ensured the passenger had returned to their seat, as instructed.
The pilot accused the flight attendant of “not doing his job properly and affecting flying safety”, according to a report in AirlineRatings.com. The resulting argument apparently escalated to fisticuffs.
(The passenger in need may have managed to enter the toilet at this stage, while the fight raged, though that aspect hasn’t been disclosed.)
Reuters quoted Wu Shijie, deputy director of the Office of Aviation Safety at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), saying the pilot would have his licence revoked and the flight attendant would receive corresponding administrative punishment.
Moreover, Donghai Airlines would be barred from adding new routes, flights and capacity over the incident. Wu did not say how long the restrictions would last.
China enforces aviation safety strictly and has a good safety record.
Written by Peter Needham
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