Air Transport

By David Kaminski-Morrow in London

Freight operator TNT Airways has fired the two pilots involved in the Boeing 737-300 landing accident at the UK's Birmingham airport in June, after concluding that human error played a central role in the event.  The crew diverted to Birmingham after an aborted attempt to land at Nottingham East Midlands airport resulted in the 737's right main undercarriage being torn from the aircraft.

While TNT acknowledges that the crew demonstrated skill in recovering the damaged aircraft and making an ultimately successful emergency landing, they had been the "catalyst for the difficulty. It's with profound regret that we've taken this action," the company says. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch is conducting an inquiry into the accident.