A Boeing 747-400 attempting to take off during a typhoon crashes through construction equipment and barriers, killing 83 of the 179 people on board. Three days later, authorities declare “pilot error.” For the next two months, all three flight crewmembers—the captain, first officer, and relief pilot—are detained while prosecutors began building a case to pursue criminal manslaughter charges.
This event, nearly two decades ago, was the tragic crash of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 (SQ 006) in Taipei, Taiwan. A fiery crash, a massive loss of life, a rush to judgment, misplaced blame, and another attempt to criminalize an aviation accident were all outcomes of this event. It’s difficult to determine if the aftermath would be any different today.
Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.
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