Two pilots with China Eastern Airlines have been suspended and their licenses revoked after an aborted landing which officials say could have resulted in a crash.
On May 1, flight MU 5443 attempted to land at Kangding but aborted at the last minute.
The pilots did not make a second attempt and returned to Chengdu Airport, for which the airline was fined $7,600, local media reported.
The Airbus A-319 suffered some damage to its undercarriage and tail when it came in to land too fast.
The impact forced the pilots to take off again without stopping.
Weather conditions were reportedly poor at Kangding Airport at the time, which is at an altitude of 4,200 metres.
Inspectors found the co-pilot was not in the cockpit at the time of the aborted landing, and was replaced by an assistant captain who was reportedly not qualified to handle landings at high altitude airports.
