CRI听力:China Jet Captain Jailed 3 Yrs for Crash Killing 44

A court in the city of Yichun in Heilongjiang has sentenced Captain Qi Quanjun three years in prison.

The court has found the pilot personally-responsible for the crash, determining he broke operational rules in trying to land the plane in visibility conditions which were below safety standards.

Judicial authorities have also convicted Qi Quanjun of failing to help the survivors of the crash get off the plane.

The crash left 44 of the 96 people on-board the flight dead.

The flight was Qi Quanjun's first into the airport at Yichun.

It took the court in Yichun over a year to come to a decision in the case, as this is the first time in China that a pilot has been put on-trial in connection with the crash of an airplane.

Zhang Qihuai is a lawyer with a Beijing law firm.

"If someone goes against the rules and causes certain losses, one should be responsible for that. He needs to take responsibility and be asked for compensation. He should also be prosecuted according to the criminal code. The trial can act as a warning for future cases. It is a significant ruling for the safety of China's civil aviation."

Zhang says while pilot error is the main factor behind the deadly crash 4-years ago, other factors, including the poor management of Henan Airlines and the lax supervision by civil aviation authorities is also to blame.

"The verdict only covers Qi Quanjun's criminal liability in the crash. Although others have been punished for their role connected to their administrative responsibilities, none of them have come under criminal prosecution."

Qi Quanjun has not said whether he plans to appeal the verdict.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.