SIA sacks two SQ006 crash pilots

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has sacked two of the three cockpit crew of the Boeing 747-400 that crashed at Taipei in October 2000 killing 83 people.

The Star Alliance carrier says in a statement that it has “terminated the services” of Capt Foong Chee Kong and First Officer Latiff Cyrano “in accordance with their terms of employment”. The relief pilot from flight SQ006, First Officer Ng Kheng Long, has kept his job.

SIA’s decision follows a final ruling issued on 24 July by the High Prosecutor’s Office in Taipei upholding a June recommendation by the Taoyuan county prosecutor that charges against Foong and Latiff be conditionally suspended for three years.

Conditions included their performing 240hr of community service in Singapore and not operating into Taipei for one year with effect from 1 July. The Taoyuan prosecutor recommended that the third pilot not be charged in any way.



The 31 October 2000 crash killed 83 of the 179 people on board the 747, which was attempting a departure for Los Angeles from Taipei’s Chiang Kai Shek International Airport. Operating as flight SQ006, the aircraft was cleared for a departure from runway 05L but the crew mistakenly attempted a departure from parallel runway 05R, which was closed for construction work. The 747 struck heavy machinery on its takeoff roll, bursting into flames as it broke apart.



Prosecutors detained the pilots in Taipei for nearly two months after the accident and repeatedly threatened to prosecute them. A final investigative report issued by Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council (ASC) in April found the pilots largely responsible for the crash, although SIA, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration were also criticised.



Singapore’s government challenged many of the findings of the ASC’s report, calling the accident a “failure of the aviation system” rather than the fault of specific individuals. An investigation of its own pointed to many shortcomings at Chiang Kai Shek airport.



The three pilots all had their flying licenses suspended by Singapore authorities after the accident. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations had called for Singapore to reinstate their flying status.