Biman suspends two pilots over Yangon accident

FT ONLINE

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended two pilots for being responsible for an accident in which a Biman plane skidded off a runway at Yangon International Airport on May 8 last year.

The national flag carrier suspended them last month based on the findings of an investigation report over the accident.

The two pilots are Najrul Islam Shamim and Anwar Pervej Akas.

Shamim was the pilot-in-charge and Akas was the first officer during the flight.

The aircraft, a Dash-8 Q 400 (BG 060), left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for Yangon at 3:45 pm on May 8 last year.

While landing in rough weather, it skidded off the runway at approximately 6:22 pm, injuring almost all the 35 passengers and crew on board.

The aircraft was badly damaged and could not be flown back.

Immediately after the accident, Biman formed a probe committee under the leadership of Chief of Flight Safety Captain Shoaib Chowdhury to investigate the incident.

The probe found that the pilots did not adhere to the standard procedure of flight operations set by Biman Bangladesh Airlines for landing and that they also did not follow the instructions of the air traffic control tower.

The pilots could not properly manage the landing approach, airspeed, aircraft power, touch down, and landing role, according to the report.

The airspeed was 43 knots or 64.5 miles per hour during landing, and the height above the ground was 50 feet.

The report said the pilots also failed to reduce the power level of the engine after touchdown, causing the skid.

Such violations of rules and irresponsible behaviour are a punishable offence, the report recommended.

Another investigation held jointly by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and the Department of Civil Aviation of Myanmar also found that the pilots were responsible for the plane crash, said a senior Biman executive.

Both pilots had been working for Biman since 15 September 2018.

When contacted, pilot Shamim refused to comment on the suspension.

The accident contributed to huge reputation damage as well as a financial loss for the national flag carrier.