The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is The China National Chemical Construction Corp. They get the award for the following.

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese state-run company has been ordered to pay a record $65 million (32 million pounds) in compensation, plus interest, for destroying a Malaysia Airlines plane with falsely declared cargo of caustic chemicals.

The Airbus A330 was ruined when 80 canisters belonging to the Dalian branch of the China National Chemical Construction Corp. leaked an extremely corrosive chemical, oxalyl chloride, in the cargo hold in March 2000.

The crew of the passenger flight from Beijing detected an acrid odour before landing in Kuala Lumpur en route to India and five ground handlers were taken ill when unloading the canisters to be sold to an Indian company.

The passengers disembarked without incident, but the $130 million aircraft was so badly damaged that the manufacturer concluded that it could not be repaired.

The Beijing Higher People's Court ruled on Wednesday that the Dalian company should bear the main blame by declaring the canisters contained a safe chemical in the form of powder, the Beijing Times said on Thursday.

The company had to pay five foreign insurers for Malaysia Airlines $65 million plus interest in compensation, ending a five-year lawsuit, the newspaper said.

Their improper shipment of chemicals didn't just destroy an airplane but endanger human lives. That is way I name The China National Chemical Construction Corp. today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Linked to- Adam, Bright & Early, Leaning Straight Up, Mad Pigeon, Random Yak, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, Woman Honor Thyself, Yankee Sailor,