Vietnam Airlines suspends pilots after planes collide at Hanoi airport

HANOI - Vietnam Airlines has suspended four pilots after two of its planes collided at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport on June 27.

The incident occurred at around 2pm (3pm Singapore time) when a Boeing 787 was taxiing for take-off to Ho Chi Minh City.

As it moved through the intersection of taxiways S3 and S, its right wing tip struck the vertical stabiliser of an Airbus A321 that was waiting to depart for Dien Bien.

The Boeing’s wing tip was damaged, while the Airbus sustained a tear in its tail fin.

Both aircraft were immediately grounded for technical inspections, and replacement planes were arranged to transport over 380 affected passengers to their destinations.

Vietnam Airlines said it suspended the four pilots, two from each flight crew, from the afternoon of June 27 pending the results of an internal investigation.

The airline has also set up an independent team to examine the cause of the collision alongside the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

The CAAV has classified the collision as a level B serious incident, the second highest on the five-tier aviation safety scale, indicating a severe safety breach that forced temporary runway or taxiway closures.

Preliminary findings suggest that the Airbus A321 was not parked at its designated holding point on taxiway S3 at the time of the collision.

Vietnam Airlines said it is fully cooperating with the aviation authorities to determine accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future. VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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