WHBM
Oct 22, 07, 9:14 am
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=35455&cat_id=1
Kazakh pilot’s poor English sees plane land in Larnaca instead of Israel
A KAZAKH plane on route to Tel Aviv from Astana was forced to land at Larnaca Airport because the Israeli authorities thought the captain was drunk, it was reported yesterday.
It was later established that the pilot could simply not speak English properly and sounded as if he was slurring his words.
According to Israeli television, Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to escort the passenger plane from Kazakhstan, carrying 98 passengers, after its pilots failed to identify themselves to the control tower at Ben-Gurion Airport.
The aircraft eventually landed at Larnaca Airport, where the pilots were questioned for four hours. The plane was later allowed to return and land in Israel.
Kazakh pilot’s poor English sees plane land in Larnaca instead of Israel
A KAZAKH plane on route to Tel Aviv from Astana was forced to land at Larnaca Airport because the Israeli authorities thought the captain was drunk, it was reported yesterday.
It was later established that the pilot could simply not speak English properly and sounded as if he was slurring his words.
According to Israeli television, Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to escort the passenger plane from Kazakhstan, carrying 98 passengers, after its pilots failed to identify themselves to the control tower at Ben-Gurion Airport.
The aircraft eventually landed at Larnaca Airport, where the pilots were questioned for four hours. The plane was later allowed to return and land in Israel.