A bonus scheme rewarding pilots who save fuel could have been behind the Garuda Airline crash in Indonesia last month which killed 21 people, including five Australians.
Garuda Pilots’ Association president Captain Geraldus said he was concerned about Garuda’s policy of paying pilots a 3 per cent bonus if they conserved fuel, and said it could have been the reason why the pilot continued with the fatal landing in Yogyakarta.
“This policy for fuel efficiency for individual pilots could hamper flight safety,” he said.
“The company is making extra payments to pilots if they can conserve fuel. Maybe this is bothering the pilot.”
Plane landed at twice normal speed
Indonesia’s National Safety Transport Committee has officially released a summary of its preliminary findings into the crash, confirming that Garuda Flight 200 was travelling at around 410 kph – almost twice the normal speed – when it came in to land.
Indonesia’s National Safety Transport Committee’s chief investigator Marjono Siswosuwarno said the impact of the crash could have been reduced if the airport had followed international recommendations for safety areas at the end of the runway.
“The accident could not be prevented but the result can be less severe,” he said.
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April 12, 2007 at 2:53 am