Pilot suspended as wife says he's schizophrenic
Shanghai Daily, March 13, 2015
A pilot for China Eastern Airlines has been suspended after his wife made allegations online that he was suffering from a mental illness, the Shanghai-based company said yesterday.
Zhang Letian, 32, was shown to be mentally and physically healthy in tests conducted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on March 3, but was suspended anyway due to the possible effect on him of the allegations, the airline said in a statement.
The statement was posted on the company's microblog along with medical reports stating that the pilot showed "no inclination toward mental illness during conversations with doctors."
"Zhang has been in dispute with his wife as they are in the process of getting divorced," the statement said.
The airline said it reserved the right to take legal action against the wife for making the allegations.
Zhang's wife, Yang Xiaoli, a teacher at Donghua University, set up a website last August on which she claimed her husband had schizophrenia and had beaten her.
On Monday, she posted photographs on WeChat apparently showing her head covered in blood. She claimed the injuries had been caused by Zhang.
"My husband is a China Eastern Airlines pilot. He has paranoid schizophrenia but is still flying," the post said.
"I solemnly swear to tell nothing but the truth, according to my conscience. I am willing to take the legal responsibility for what I say," she said.
China Eastern issued an initial statement on Tuesday in which it said the claims were untrue, as Zhang had passed medical exams both last year and this.
"The airline has followed the stipulation of the administration to ensure all pilots meet technical and health standards," the first statement said.
