Boeing 777 tower buzz gets pilot canned

Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific said it fired veteran pilot for performing an aerial stunt during the maiden flight of a Boeing 777.

British Capt. Ian Wilkinson, 55, a 15-year-veteran, skimmed a runway at 320 mph during the maiden flight of a 230-ton Boeing 777 to the cheers of his passengers and spectators at Boeing headquarters in Seattle.

He was greeted to a champagne toasts on his return to Hong Kong, but video of the stunt posted on YouTube prompted officials at Cathay Pacific to show him the door, The Daily Mail said Monday.

Cathay Pacific representatives said that while air traffic control in Seattle approved the maneuver, the company did not.

He is a very senior captain nearing the end of a highly-distinguished career but he seems to have thrown it all away for a moment of madness, an anonymous airline representative said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International