CHINA’S civil aviation authority revoked the licenses of two captains and suspended an assistant captain with China Eastern Airlines’ Sichuan branch, after a landing accident that nearly caused a plane crash, officials said Sunday.

Flights on the branch’s new highland routes were suspended along with its applications for new routes, charter flights and additional flights, the Civil Aviation Administration told Shanghai-headquartered China Eastern in a meeting.

The administration also fined the branch 50,000 yuan (US$7,700) because the crew of Flight MU5443 from Chengdu to Kangding in Sichuan Province lied to administration investigators after the accident.

The Airbus 319 aircraft suffered damage to its tail and tires when it failed to land at the airport in Kangding in bad weather conditions May 1. After missing the approach, the aircraft flew back to Chengdu airport, according to a primary investigation with the administration.

The landing failure could have resulted in a serious plane crash, the administration said, adding that the pilot hit the ground too hard at too high a speed under bad weather conditions.

The administration also pointed out that the co-pilot was resting in the cabin during the landing and the assistant captain sitting in the cockpit was not qualified to land at the 4,200-meter-high airport. Carriers operating on the high-altitude route must have two captains on duty, according to regulations.(Shanghai Daily)