Expert says other factors contributed to China Airlines accident during typhoon
The pilot of a China Airlines plane that crashed during a typhoon killing three people should not be held as the 'fall guy', a review board was told yesterday.
Captain Owen Evers, an expert testifying for China Airlines, told the Board of Review hearing that pilot Gerardo Lettich was not responsible for the August 22, 1999, accident at Hong Kong's international airport.
'I am here today to see that justice be done for this investigation and the pilot, who is always a target and always a fall guy because he was there, and to show in this case he was not the guy responsible ... for this crash,' he said.
Mr Evers said Mr Lettich had flown the MD-11 airliner skilfully, and said the draft report into the crash was wrong to focus so heavily on the pilot as other factors, such the extreme wind conditions, were also significant.
China Airlines flight CI642 was due to stop over in Hong Kong during its flight from Bangkok to Taipei when it crashed on landing during a typhoon.