A file photo of an Air Berlin plane taking off at Franz-Josef-Strauss airport in Munich, Germany (AFP)
The pilot of an Air Berlin plane who was filmed pulling a
Top Gun-like stunt has been
suspended. The fly-past by Air Berlin's last long-haul flight to its hub in Dusseldorf was
reported by German media as the pilot's unique way of saying "goodbye" to his passengers and the bankrupt airline.
Last week, the pilot of the flight from Miami, Florida pulled up the aircraft above the runway in Dusseldorf and made a low pass over the airport before coming around and landing.
Many compared the stunt to the one pulled off in the 80s hit movie
Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise.
Videos of the stunt, filmed by waiting passengers, quickly went viral.
"We wanted to make a mark, a dignified and emotional goodbye,"
The Mirror quoted the pilot as telling local media.
While some reports suggested the unusual maneuver had ome of the 200 passengers on board "screaming," footage appears to show the plane fully in the pilot's control.
A spokesperson for Air Berlin declined to confirm reports that said the maneuver was an intentional "lap of honour."
Germany's Federal Aviation Office said while go-around maneuvers were a normal procedure in air traffic, it had asked Air Berlin for details of Monday's incident involving the A330 plane because it differed from ordinary go-arounds.
Air Berlin filed for insolvency on August 15.
(With inputs from Reuters)Click for more
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