Air China dismisses smoking pilot behind plane's mid-air plunge

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Air China has terminated the contract of the co-pilot who, in an attempt to hide he was smoking in the cockpit, caused the plane to plunge 7,000 meters mid-flight.

"The company attached great importance to the incident and decided to suspend the crew’s flight qualification and terminate the labor contract of the personnel involved based on the investigation results," read an announcement published by the Chinese airline on its official account on Weibo on Friday evening.

"The company also suggests the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) revoke the cabin crew’s license."

Air China had promised a "zero tolerance" policy towards violation of safety procedures.

Flight CA106, with 153 passengers and nine crew members on board, was on its way from Hong Kong to northeast China's Dalian City on July 10 when it lost air pressure mid-flight and made an emergency descent.

The announcement posted by Air China /Screenshot from Weibo

Spokesperson for the CAAC Qiao Yibin announced earlier on Friday that investigation into the incident showed that a co-pilot smoking an e-cigarette was behind the decompression event.

The co-pilot, who was not named, was trying to turn off a fan out of fear that smoke would reach the passenger cabin, but instead turned off two air-conditioning units without notifying the captain.

The plane lost pressure as a result, prompting the crew to follow standard procedure and bring the plane to a lower altitude and deploy oxygen masks.

The CAAC holds a press conference on Thursday. /Photo via Chinanews

It dropped from an altitude of 11,000 meters to around 3,000 meters in 10 minutes, according to data from Flightradar24. Pictures posted online showed yellow oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.

The plane also issued a mayday call, an internationally recognized radio signal used in life-threatening emergencies. The cabin crew eventually realized the mistake, reactivating the air-conditioning system and bringing the plane back to its planned cruising altitude.

The flight landed safely in Dalian around 20 minutes later than scheduled, without any injuries reported.

Pictures posted online showed yellow oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling. /Photo via Global Times

In-flight smoking is prohibited on Chinese airlines, including e-cigarettes.

Nicotine in cigarettes and smoking devices negatively affect pilots' neuro-sensitivity, posing danger to the flight safety, according to a safety guide posted on CAAC's official website.