Pilots of Air Berlin flight suspended after performing a fly-by past the air traffic control tower in Dusseldorf. https://t.co/YpFRtuPSB5 pic.twitter.com/sa8OW8EV7P
— ABC News (@ABC) October 19, 2017
A stunt meant to mark an air carrier’s final journey has landed a pilot in hot water.
According to the New York Post, it was Monday morning when the Airbus A330 carrying 200 passengers from Miami to Germany’s Dusseldorf Airport suddenly picked up speed and elevation as it neared the terminal. Turning on its side in an honorary flyover, a maneuver that wasn’t expected, the plane circled the airport a final time before its journey would come to an end.
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“It was a strange feeling when the A330 came right at us, as we did not know before that it would do a honorary lap,” an airport employee said, recalling the moment when panic broke out.
In videos that captured the stunt, people can be heard screaming in fear, believing that the airbus would crash into the terminal.
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While the pilot, who has not been named, had asked permission to perform a left-turn in the case of an aborted landing, it was not known that the honorary lap would be performed. “Electing to do one if it is known not to be required adds an unnecessary risk,” a pilot for a different airline commented.
AirBerlin filed for bankruptcy on August 15th and the Airbus A330 was flying its final long-haul flight. “We wanted to make a mark — a dignified and emotional goodbye,” the pilot was quoted as saying.
