United States

Air Berlin Pilots Suspended After Risky Fly-By Farewell on Flight From Miami

Their A330 jet made a "go-around" maneuver with a sharp bank over a German terminal on Monday

An Air Berlin's low-flying, ceremonial fly-by over the airline's hub in Dusseldorf got its pilots suspended, Reuters reported.

They reportedly wanted to mark the insolvent airline's last long-haul flight, which originated in Miami, when they took the A330 jet in a "go-around" maneuver with a sharp bank over the terminal on Monday. The airline said they were suspended on Wednesday.

"In aviation, safety always comes first. We are taking the incident very seriously," an Air Berlin spokesman said.

A pilot for a different carrier said that the maneuver "an unnecessary risk," though one of the pilots told German broadcaster ZDF that he wanted to give "a dignified and emotional goodbye."

Contact Us