Los angeles: Taiwan's EVA Airways announced that it had suspended and initiated an investigation into a pilot accused of losing his temper and assaulting the first officer as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to Focus Taiwan, the incident was reported on the Reporter Taiwan website, revealing that the conflict arose after the flight's Malaysian first officer attempted to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen, about exceeding the taxiing speed limit of 30 knots. Despite several warnings, the pilot did not heed them, prompting the first officer to manually apply the brakes, following standard operating procedure. The report detailed that the pilot reacted negatively to this intervention and punched the first officer multiple times, causing swelling and bruising on the officer's hand. A whistleblower expressed disappointment over the lack of immediate emergency response and the decision to allow a pilot with unstable behavior to continue the flight, potenti ally compromising passenger safety. Although the incident occurred "recently," the exact date was not disclosed. EVA Air, in a statement issued on Saturday, confirmed the launch of an investigation to verify the incident's details. The airline stated that data from the flight's quick access recorder (QAR) showed compliance with regulations during taxiing, contradicting the speeding allegation. These records have been submitted to regulatory agencies, and the airline discouraged spreading misinformation about the event. The pilot remains suspended and will be referred to the airline's disciplinary review board upon the investigation's conclusion. Concurrently, Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration has initiated its own investigation and will enforce legal penalties if the crew's actions are found to have compromised flight safety.