Air crew 'off duty' after crash last weekend
08.03.08
A pilot and co-pilot from Hong Kong airline Dragonair have been removed from flying duties after a Boeing 747-400 freighter plane damaged 3 of its 4 engines landing at Manchester Airport in high winds, the airline said today. The plane burst a tyre and its engines were badly damaged as it touched down at 01:27 last Saturday on what was understood to have been a second attempt following one fly-around because of the severe weather.
The accident involved a flight from Dubai to Manchester operating on a Cathay Pacific freighter route wet-leased to Dragonair. Only the captain and co-pilot were on board the flight. Neither the captain nor the first officer was injured in the incident. The cowlings, or covers, of 3 of the Boeing's 4 engines were damaged.
The runway at Manchester Airport was closed for almost an hour as debris from the accident was cleared away. The damage to the Boeing is expected to take a number of weeks to repair. An investigation has been launched into the accident, which took place on a day of severe windstorms across Europe.
A Dragonair spokeswoman said that the two pilots, understood to include a female captain, had not been formally suspended. She said it was ‘normal practice’ for crew to be removed from duty after an accident to assist in the investigation. She added: ‘Also, sometimes crew involved might experience stress and are in need of professional counselling prior to returning to flying duties.'
The spokeswoman said the airline was cooperating with civil aviation officials as they investigated the accident. She added that Dragonair expected the aircraft, which is undergoing repairs at Manchester Airport, to be back in service by the third week of March.
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