Chinese pilot stabs colleagues, jumps to death over workplace dispute: report

A failed pilot evaluation that ended with a China Southern Airlines captain stabbing two of his colleagues before jumping to his death in Changchun in the northeast Chinese province of Jilin on Tuesday has renewed public worries about flight safety.

The pilot, surnamed Li, 31, died after jumping out of a window, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Erdao district branch of the Changchun Public Security Bureau. His colleagues were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the report said, adding that an investigation was continuing.

Citing a person with knowledge of the incident, Guizhou Radio and TV Station (GZTV) reported that Li, a pilot with the company’s Jilin branch, had recently failed an evaluation and was not qualified to fly.

During a conversation with his superiors about the appraisal, Li attacked the flight department’s party committee secretary and a department manager, the insider said. He then smashed a window on the 15th floor of the building and jumped to his death.

The company evaluation determined that Li had a “lack of understanding of rules and procedures” such as communication failure procedures and the cockpit door electronic lock password, GZTV reported, citing an internal report provided by another insider.

The source said the internal report had recommended Li undergo “systematic and comprehensive training” of the flight crew operating manual followed by a comprehensive “theoretical verification” conducted by the airline’s Jilin branch before Li could have his flight qualifications restored.