SWISS - Once a fine airline, now.....
How COULD this happen. This is more than 'teething' troubles, this indicates serious structural problems. Tha SAAB 340 crash, the Jumbolino crash and the SAAB 2000 crash should NEVER be repeated.
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Swiss pilots licensed by unqualified instructors: watchdog
Unqualified instructors passed 50 pilots to fly a particular type of aircraft for Switzerland's troubled new airline Swiss, according to a statement by the country's civil aviation authority (OFAC), which canceled the tests.
OFAC says between late March and mid-July three instructors had passed the pilots to fly the Brazilian-made Embraer 145, although "they were not entitled to do so".
The instructors concerned were authorised to carry out flying tests, but not for that particular type of aircraft.
OFAC says it has canceled the tests and barred the 50 Swiss airline pilots from flying the Embraer.
Swiss admitted they had made "probably a wrong interpretation" of the European aviation rules.
"There is no indication that leads us to conclude that Swiss and the instructors had acted intentionally or in violation of security norms," OFAC said.
But an OFAC committee is to investigate whether pilots were approved to fly other types of aircraft in the Swiss fleet by unqualified instructors.
OFAC is also considering opening criminal and civil cases against those responsible.
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Reproduced from the Australian Broadcasting Authority.