Posted at 12:09 p.m., Wednesday, January 22, 2003
FAA clears pilot of wrongdoing in 747 incident
By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer
Even though the pilot of China Airlines Flight 018 "did not violate any regulations or deviate from any instructions," he did not follow standard practice used by other pilots approaching Honolulu International Airport under similar circumstances, Paul Turk, an FAA spokesman, said today.
Turk said the FAA completed its review of the pilot Jan. 14.
Because of kona winds the day of the incident, the pilot was operating under "visual approach" and approaching from the east. But he flew one-quarter mile inland, prompting complaints from area residents who thought he came too close to high-rise buildings.
The FAA found that the pilot did not drop below the minimum altitude of 1,200 feet.
"He didn't do anything wrong but the standard practice, even on visual approaches, was to stay over water," Turk said. "For people experienced with this and flying in over the ocean, that is what is expected."
But at the time, no FAA instructions told pilots to do that, Turk said.
