In recent days, there have been continuous rumors circulating within the Chinese civil aviation sector. On July 1st, a tragic incident occurred at the Jilin branch of Southern Airlines where the captain of an A321 aircraft was involved in a work dispute, resulting in stabbing several employees before tragically jumping off the building. Many people are eager to uncover the truth behind the incident, and colleagues of the company have begun to disclose some inside information.
According to reports from mainland China, around 11 a.m. on July 1st, 31-year-old Captain Li Yuzhong of Southern Airlines had a conversation with the flight department leaders regarding his qualification and capability assessment, which deemed him unfit. During the discussion, Li Yuzhong stabbed Flight Department staff Liu and Manager Zhu, followed by injuring the Union Chairman and a ground staff member who attempted to intervene. Subsequently, Li proceeded to the 15th floor, smashed the glass, and jumped to his death.
A colleague of Li Yuzhong, using the pseudonym Gu Peng, told reporters that prior to the incident, Li Yuzhong had experienced a level-two incident within the unit two to three days earlier. While initially a minor issue, Southern Airlines escalated the situation, leaving Li Yuzhong feeling extremely upset and distressed. After being notified of his suspension from flying duties, he accepted the decision.
“However, two days later, a team was specifically formed for investigating him, focusing on ‘eliminating people,’ which demoted him from a captain to a lower-ranking position. The leader, Gao Yifan, was in charge of pursuing accountability and had already disciplined many individuals.”
“Formally, he was not demoted to a copilot but continued to be referred to as a captain. However, this type of captain essentially had their earnings slashed, with their monthly salary and benefits reduced from around 70,000 to about 25,000. The day after his demotion, the tragedy occurred.”
Colleagues revealed that Li Yuzhong felt that the policies of Southern Airlines were unjust. In March, during a flight, Li had brought a cup to the cockpit like everyone else, placing it on the cup holder. However, he was grounded for two months by the company for this action. On that same day, an instructor and another captain who also brought cups into the cockpit faced no consequences, only Li was suspended.
Insiders disclosed that “the farewell letter was written in the afternoon of the day he was demoted (June 30). He arrived home at 4 p.m., locked himself in a room. His wife thought he was making a phone call to a colleague, but he was actually writing the farewell letter.”
In the letter, Li Yuzhong expressed his love for life and mentioned how he had used his first earnings after graduation to support underprivileged students. Despite the failures, he believed that the Reform of 1898 was justified, as it accelerated the New Culture Movement.
In the farewell letter, Li Yuzhong conveyed his dissatisfaction with reality. He stated that after years of reform, the country and society had not improved but rather seen the concentration of power increase. The exploitation and humiliation of grassroots employees had worsened, workplace bullying had become commonplace, and legal rules had turned into tools for those in power, leading to the skewing of social resources towards the authorities and wealthy businessmen.
Having spent eight years in civil aviation, Li Yuzhong had witnessed the industry’s development from infancy to maturity, with aircraft becoming more advanced and flights increasingly safe. However, the happiness index of pilots had not increased, the pilots’ salary had remained stagnant for ten years, and their benefits had deteriorated.
The letter questioned the effectiveness of the safety measures introduced in the wake of the former Civil Aviation Administration Deputy Director Li Jian’s “Five Safeguards” (preventing errors in takeoff and landing routes, preventing errors in flight routes, preventing ground sliding routes, preventing loss of communication, etc.). Southern Airlines then proposed 21 new guidelines, raising the safety standards to new heights. Yet, had these changes truly enhanced safety? Under high pressure, significant problems could arise, as seen in the Eastern Airlines 3.21 incident where a plane’s rapid descent led to the death of all 132 passengers on board.
Li Yuzhong also expressed discontent towards those in power, accusing them of exploiting employees under the guise of safety. “Southern Airlines Chairman Ma Xulun significantly reduced employee benefits for personal gain. Vice General Manager Gao Fei and his clique Chai Shan conducted widespread checkups on captains. Numerous captains collapsed not during flights but during these inspections.”
He further revealed that Vice Manager Gao Yifan had brought down numerous captains. “He set different standards for inspections based on his relationships; leaders he favored had one standard, while ordinary employees had another. He has become twisted, deriving pleasure from grounding captains, freely mentioning their demotion without allowing explanations, exhibiting extreme subjectivity. Although they never physically harm anyone, their hands are stained with blood.”
Li Yuzhong disclosed, “The Jilin branch’s General Manager, Li Zhaowu, possesses vast personal wealth; his children already own luxury cars worth millions. Once, due to a remark made by a waiting pilot, a flight crew member was suspended without proper investigation. The newly arrived Vice General Manager Xia Jianyu has rigorously conducted obedience tests, sanctioning pilots for having pens in their pockets and dictating that the airplane’s speed limit should be 0.76/300, with a group of people below supporting his actions.”
Expressing regret, Li Yuzhong lamented the absence of a union in Chinese civil aviation, the lack of specific standards for industry inspections, and inspectors passing or failing individuals based on personal preferences, with no voice for lower-level employees. For many years, effective monitoring had been lacking. Following his involvement in the level-two incident, he underwent scrutiny, leading to his demotion from captain, leaving him with a sense of injustice.
In the farewell letter, Li Yuzhong asserted that he had met the requirements outlined in the manual, facilitated the growth of copilots, focused on promoting fuel efficiency and brake saving for China’s civil aviation, and invested efforts into nurturing new talents for the industry. He now aimed to awaken society through his drastic action, raising his voice for civil aviation and oppressed individuals. Workplace bullying had reached a severe extent, making it impossible for ordinary people to survive, urging organizational reforms to prevent turmoil in the country.
Ending with poignant words, Li Yuzhong stated, “Today, I am willing to be like Tan Sitong, using my blood to illuminate the path for those pursuing fairness and justice. I laugh towards the sky with a broadsword in hand, for I have no personal agenda, seek no revenge, and live and die with no regrets.”
Li Yuzhong’s wife tearfully lamented to colleagues, “On the day of the incident, I stood at the unit’s entrance for half an hour, but no one dared to inform me of what had happened. There is a four-year-old child at home, constantly asking for their father, and I do not know how to explain to the child.”
“It has been two days since the incident, and up to now, no one from Southern Airlines has contacted me. It was the police station that informed me that my husband had passed away, and Southern Airlines had already filed a report.”
Li Yuzhong’s wife recounted, “On the day of the incident, I rushed to the Second Department of the Jida Hospital, only to find that not four but only two people were injured: one with a head injury and the other with a hand injury. There was no urgent medical attention or rescue efforts underway.”
This tragic incident sheds light on the challenges faced within the civil aviation sector in China, underscoring the need for better systems to address workplace disputes and protect the mental health and well-being of employees.