A loss of control at Los Angeles International Airport led to the suspension of an EVA Air captain after he physically assaulted his first officer shortly before takeoff. The argument, which reportedly began over the taxi speed of a Boeing 777, ended with injuries, government investigations and sharp criticism over the decision to allow the flight to proceed despite the violent confrontation.
The incident occurred as the Boeing 777-300ER was taxiing toward the runway at LAX. According to reports, the first officer repeatedly warned the captain that the aircraft was moving too fast, but his concerns were ignored.
Focus Taiwan, the English-language news site of Taiwan’s national news agency, reported that the first officer followed standard safety procedures and manually applied the brakes to slow the aircraft after his warnings went unanswered. The captain then lost his temper and attacked him. Aviation news site Simple Flying reported that the first officer was punched four times on the back of his hand, causing swelling and bruising.
One of the most troubling aspects of the case, according to an anonymous company source cited in local media, is that the flight continued to its destination as planned despite the physical altercation. Critics said allowing a pilot who had displayed emotional instability and violent behavior to fly hundreds of passengers for several hours amounted to a serious safety failure and a breakdown in required emergency procedures.
The exact date of the incident in Los Angeles has not been officially disclosed. EVA Air confirmed the details on January 4, after information about the confrontation surfaced online.
An analysis of the aircraft’s quick access recorder (QAR) showed the plane was complying with regulations while taxiing, and was not exceeding permitted taxi speed at the time. Even so, EVA Air said the captain’s violent conduct was a severe violation of discipline and flight safety rules, and he was immediately suspended from all flight duties upon returning to Taiwan.
The captain now faces two parallel investigations. Internally, his case has been referred to the airline’s disciplinary committee, where he could face dismissal. Separately, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) has opened an independent probe and has the authority to impose heavy fines or permanently revoke the pilot’s license, as violence and communication breakdowns in the cockpit are considered a direct threat to passenger and crew safety.