Fight in the Cockpit

[Anchor Lead]

Allegations have surfaced that a fight broke out between two Asiana Airlines pilots in the middle of an international flight. The airline and the Ministry of Transportation have launched investigations into the incident.

[Pkg]

On September 20th, an argument occurred between a captain and his co-pilot at the cockpit of an Asiana Airlines plane, which was headed to Rome, Italy, with 200 passengers aboard. Loud harsh words were exchanged and the atmosphere deteriorated. The captain even insisted that a water bottle was thrown at him. The incident quickly went viral through the company's intranet. Asiana said that it is investigating if the captain and co-pilot violated safety rules. The company quoted the co-pilot as claiming that he did not throw a water bottle but instead dropped it. The Ministry of Transportation, which is in charge of managing and overseeing airline companies also launched a fact-finding investigation.

[Soundbite] Kim Sang-soo(Ministry of Transportation) : "One of them said that the water bottle rebounded when he put it down. The other person insisted that it was thrown at him. We need to investigate more."

There are even guidelines on caring for the mental health of pilots, since their loss of emotional control can lead to a disastrous accident. In December last year, controversy arose following a brawl between two Asiana Airlines pilots on a plane before takeoff. At the time, one of them was allowed to fly as scheduled while the other was transported to a hospital.