Pilot, flight attendant suspended for mid-air punch-up over toilet argument

Chengdu, China – September 22, 2019: Donghai Airlines Boeing 737-800 airplane at Chengdu airport (CTU) in China. Boeing is an American aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Chicago.
By Alexandra Coulton


A Chinese carrier has suspended a pilot and flight attendant after the two had a fistfight just before landing, resulting in a broken arm and a missing tooth.

The Donghai Airlines flight from Nantong to Xian last month was 50 minutes from landing when the argument broke out, sparked by a disagreement over a first-class passenger waiting to use the toilet.

According to the South China Morning Post, the pilot, who has not been identified, was using the bathroom when a first-class passenger wanted to use the toilet.

The pilot asked the passenger to wait in their seat, but he was ignored. When the pilot noticed the passenger still waiting outside the bathroom when he exited, he chastised the first-class flight attendant for “not doing his job properly” and effecting flight safety.

The two began an argument that quickly spiralled into a physical fight, reportedly started by the pilot. The fight resulted in a broken arm for the flight attendant and a missing tooth for the pilot.

Donghai Airlines issued a statement seen by the South China Morning Post confirming that both the pilot and flight attendant had been suspended from their roles.

“The company attached high importance to the argument among the crew members during flight and conducted a strict internal verification,” the airline said.

“Those staff members involved have been suspended their job to ensure flight safety.”

The Donghai Airlines incident isn’t the first time this year a pilot was involved in a scrap, after a Tarco Aviation flight was forced to make an emergency landing because one of its pilots was attacked by a cat.

Featured image source: iStock/Boarding1Now

Latest News