A US training centre for Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has halted solo flights for cadet pilots after an “alarming” rise in serious blunders in which students were involved in a wingtip collision, a bounced landing and an erroneous exit from a runway.
In an email obtained by the Post earlier and confirmed by Cathay Pacific on Thursday, AeroGuard Flight Training Centre vice-president and head of training Jay Meade told cadets he had been forced to ground the flights pending an investigation after three mishaps in as many weeks.
Meade said the incidents – a wingtip collision with a fixed object, a bounced landing leading to substantial impact on the aircraft propellor and a complete runway excursion – were serious. The latter refers to a plane inappropriately departing from a runway during take-off or landing.
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“AeroGuard has seen an alarming increase in solo incidents during cadet training. In three separate incidents over the past three weeks we have discovered damage to AeroGuard aircraft that has occurred at cross-country destination airports,” he wrote.
Cathay told the Post that it acknowledged the events as reported by AeroGuard at the facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
“We are taking them seriously,” the airline said.
Meade noted in the email that in each instance the pilot in command had elected to continue with their mission, but said they should have consulted their duty flight instructor before proceeding.
“In each case the concern was the same – required consultation did not occur before the return flight. In each case students placed themselves in potential danger,” he said.
“In two of the three instances the students failed to properly report the damage upon return to Deer Valley airport, even after ramp in. Two of these instances have occurred in the past five days.”
Meade said the decision to ground the solo flights was unrelated to the aircraft sustaining damage.
“This decision is necessary because students are unable, or are unwilling, to communicate via the numerous outlets that have been provided,” he said.
He added that “students are not meeting expectations regarding training, guidance and direction; as related to the application of proper aeronautical decision making.”
Meade said AeroGuard management and staff, in collaboration with Cathay, would be coordinating a remedial response that would ensure the training centre’s safety management system reporting requirements were met, and that students were fully supported while on solo missions.
He added that dual flight training missions, simulator missions and academic classes would continue as scheduled.
The AeroGuard Flight Training Centre, one of the largest global flight training academies in the US, signed a long-term agreement with Cathay in December 2022 as part of the airline’s plans to train several hundred new pilots per year at the Arizona location.
The centre, which has over 20 years’ experience training more than 7,000 pilots from around the world, said it would support Cathay in its efforts to prepare for a global recovery of airline travel following the pandemic.
It has worked with Cathay on two training programmes – one for those joining the airline with no prior flight experience and another for pilots looking to convert their licences to the Hong Kong standard.
“It’s important to note that these training courses are conducted under the control of licensed training organisations and are subject to regulatory oversight by the local aviation authorities,” Cathay said.
“At Cathay Pacific, safety guides every decision we make. We fully support the decision of the training school regarding the reported incidents, and we are maintaining close contact with them to follow up on the ongoing investigation.”
The airline added: “We will continue to prioritise the safety and well-being of our cadet pilots and crew members, and we remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards in our training programmes.”
According to the centre, Cathay planned to train more than 1,000 cadet pilots by 2025, increasing capacity yearly to meet the growing travel demand expected to pass through the Asian aviation hub.
In December last year, the first batch of 21 Cathay cadet pilots graduated from its integrated programme jointly conducted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the AeroGuard centre.
Cathay has pushed back its target of restoring pre-pandemic capacity to early 2025 from the last quarter of this year after a large number of flight cancellations. The company cancelled 786 flights between last December and February – more than 4 per cent of the total.
The airline needs another 500 pilots this year to meet its stated target for next year. The new hires will increase the number of pilots to 3,400, still 400 fewer than in early 2020.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Hong Kong should fully regain status as international aviation hub by end of year, global airline body says
- Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific sticking to rebuilding plan with new routes coming only after return to full capacity, says chairman
- Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific needs to launch more direct flights to 8 mainland Chinese cities newly added to travel scheme: industry leaders
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