A pilot has been suspended at Taiwanese carrier EVA Air after it is alleged that he lost his temper in Los Angeles and punched his first officer shortly before takeoff. The non-stop flight was taxiing to the runway when the first officer attempted to warn the other pilot that he was traveling too fast.

As reported by Focus Taiwan, the first officer had attempted to alert the pilot several times, but received no response. The FO then manually applied the brakes as per standard operating procedures. However, the other pilot was not impressed and took offense to the intervention, and this resulted in the pilot punching the FO several times.

Alleges The Aircraft Was Taxiing Above The Permitted 30 Knots

As the aircraft was taxiing to the runway, the first officer alleges that the plane was traveling too fast along the taxiway, which led to the intervention of him applying the brakes. The other pilot took offense to this and subsequently took out his rage on the first officer. It is alleged that the FO was hit four times with punches to the back of the hand, leading to bruising and swelling.

Emotionally unstable behavior has led to the whistleblower in the article published by Focus Taiwan reiterating their disappointment that, following the incident, the airline’s emergency response plan was not activated. This unacceptable and unstable behavior puts passengers and crew safety at risk. The average flight time for the flight from LAX to TPE is around 14 hours and 40 minutes, gate to gate.

EVA Air has since launched an internal investigation into the incident to fully understand what had occurred, and the pilot who threw the punches has been suspended. Initial data from the aircraft’s quick access recorder (QAR) suggested that the Boeing 777-300ER had been complying with regulations and were not considered to be speeding at the time of the incident.

Referred For Disciplinary Review

According to Singapore media outlet Mothership, the pilot carried the surname ‘Wen’. Wen remains suspended from flying until the internal investigation is complete, and will also be referred to the airline’s disciplinary review board. The exact date of the flight and incident remains unclear and has not been publicly announced; however, EVA Air released its first statement on the matter on January 3.

Taiwan’s own Civil Aviation Administration has also launched its own investigation into the incident, and it has the power to impose legal penalties against those involved if it is found and confirmed that the pilot’s actions against the other crew member did affect the overall flight safety.

Additional support has been provided to both the injured first officer and the pilot who threw the punches (Wen), including psychological counselling. It remains unclear if the first officer involved in the incident required medical attention.

Non-Stop From Los Angeles

Competition on the Los Angeles to Taipei market is served by all three major Taiwanese carriers, with China Airlines and Starlux Airlines both serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Ontario International Airport (ONT) from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). EVA Air provides non-stop flights solely to LAX.

Privately owned EVA Air is the second largest international airline in Taiwan after China Airlines. The airline was founded in 1989 and commenced operations in July 1991. The airline is a Star Alliance member and operates a growing short- and long-haul international network. The carrier’s North American network extends to:

Other long-haul international markets include Brisbane (BNE), Amsterdam (AMS), London (LHR), Paris (CDG), Vienna (VIE), Milan (MXP), and Munich (MUC). According to ch-aviation, its fleet is made up of 90 aircraft (one parked), with a mix of Airbus narrowbody and Boeing widebody planes. The carrier has 32 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the plane at the centre of the first officer assault claims.