Singapore Airlines fires two pilots involved in 2000 crash

Airline Industry Information, July 26, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Singapore Airlines has reportedly dismissed two of the three pilots involved in the 31 October 2000 crash at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, Taiwan.

The aircraft crashed into construction equipment parked on a partially closed runway. Of the 179 people on board the flight, scheduled to travel to Los Angeles, 83 were killed when the aircraft taxied on to the wrong runway.

The airline has terminated the services of Captain Foong Chee Kong and First Officer Cyrano Latiff. A Singapore Airlines spokesperson has stated that the terminations were in accordance with the terms of employment, but declined to elaborate on the reasons for the dismissals or link them with the accident in Taiwan.

The third pilot, First Officer Ng Kheng Leng, is still employed at the airline, reported Reuters.

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