mikdam/iStock/Thinkstock(DUSSELDORF, Germany) — The pilots who were flying the Air Berlin plane that buzzed a control tower in Dusseldorf, Germany, have been suspended, according to the airline.
Air Berlin said the pilots, who have not been identified, were “not working in air service” while an investigation continued into the incident. The airline said the suspensions were standard procedure during a probe.
In a statement, the airline said that before landing the plane, the pilots had engaged in a “fly-around maneuver.”
“In aviation, safety comes first. We take the incident very seriously,” Air Berlin said in a statement. “Statements from passengers as well as numerous YouTube videos have led to questions and speculations, which must be answered by the pilots and the control tower staff during the ongoing investigations. The incident is jointly examined by Air Berlin and relevant authorities. It is normal procedure that all relevant crew members are exempted from the air service until the conclusion of such an investigation.”
The bankrupt European airline flew its last long-haul flight this week from Miami, Florida, to Dusseldorf. The Airbus A330 farewell flight left Miami Sunday around 5 p.m. and arrived to Dusseldorf a little after 8 a.m. local time.
Air Berlin did not confirm how many passengers and crew were onboard the aircraft at the time. However, the Air Berlin A330 seats a maximum of 290 passengers.
Max Siegmayer, a passenger aboard the flight, told ABC News Thursday that the pilot had told passengers about his plan to fly around the control tower about 10 minutes prior to doing so. Siegmayer said that the atmosphere onboard the plane was one of amazement.
“When he did this maneuver, I think nobody was scared because everybody [knew] what happened,” Siegmayer said, adding that as a passenger, “I also liked it.”
“I think everybody looked out of the window and everybody was excited,” he added. “It’s not normal that you make such a maneuver at a landing. It feels great that I was on this flight, the last Air Berlin flight.”
German’s Federal Aviation Office also confirmed to ABC News that the airline had been asked for more information regarding the incident.
“A fly-around maneuver is a normal operating procedure, which must be mastered by the pilots and is applied as required. In this case, the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt [Germany’s federal aviation office] asked Air Berlin to comment on the A330’s fly-around maneuver in Dusseldorf, since it differs from the usual start-up maneuvers and therefore requires clarification. The result of the internal investigations done by Air Berlin remains to be seen,” the agency said.
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