Troubled Pilot

A question of sanity

The revelations that appeared in the Japanese press last week painted a chilling portrait of a pilot with a troubled psyche. There were claims that Seiji Katagiri had been suffering from hallucinations and feelings of depression. He once summoned police to his two-story house near Tokyo because he was convinced it was bugged, but a thorough search turned up no eavesdropping devices. On three occasions, his employers had urged him to see a psychiatrist. Ever since he was granted one month's leave in November 1980 for a "psychosomatic disorder," Katagiri's wife has worried about his neurotic behavior.

Her reported fears proved tragically prophetic. On Feb. 9, as Flight 350 approached Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Katagiri apparently threw two of the four engines into reverse, causing the plane to plunge into Tokyo Bay some 300 yds. short of the runway. Of 174 passengers and crew aboard the Japan Air Lines DC-8 bound from Fukuoka, 24 people died. Police claimed last week that Katagiri told them he felt ill the morning of the flight. Said he: "After I switched from auto to manual operation just before landing, I felt nausea, then an inexplicable feeling of terror, and completely lost consciousness."

The Japanese catastrophe raised new concerns about airline standards that determine a pilot's fitness to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that a U.S. commercial pilot pass a rigorous physical examination every six months, as well as an assessment of his or her emotional stability. The failure rate is low; an FAA study showed that for every 1,000 pilots tested, only eight are denied certification for medical reasons, and only two of those for psychoneurotic disorders. Those who flunk are automatically grounded until they can pass the examination. Most international airlines conform to the FAA requirement that their pilots pass regular proficiency tests for the specific planes they operate. Japan Air Lines last week apologized for allowing Katagiri to fly, admitting that he was reinstated as captain even though he had not fulfilled the JAL rule that pilots log at least 25 hr. of flying time a month.

Apart from accusations that he cracked up at the controls, Katagiri may face criminal indictment for abandoning his passengers and plane so quickly. "It's unbelievable that he was among the first to take the rescue boat," said JAL President Yasumoto Takagi. Pictures later showed the captain, with a bland expression and wearing a cardigan, aboard a bus after he had reportedly told officials he was an office worker. He could receive a five-year jail term if convicted under Article 75 of Japan's civil aviation law, which requires a pilot to do his best to minimize casualties and property damage in a plane crash. -

1. How Much Did Rumsfeld Know?
2. D.C. Madam: Suicide Before Prison
3. Despite DNA, Dad's Paternity Denied
4. Grand Theft Auto IV: The 6.24% Review
5. Google's Art of War — With Facebook
6. Can the World Survive US Downturn?
7. Exit Wright
8. The District That May Decide Indiana
9. Indiana Black Voters Feeling Ignored
10. Barbara Walters Reveals 70s Affair

You will need to install or upgrade your Flash Player to be able to view this Flash content. Also, Javascript must be turned on.

Grab it! to put Quotes of the Day on your personal page or blog