In case you've not seen the Emirate's preliminary accident report...
FRANKFURT—The Aug. 3 crash landing of Emirates Flight 521 at
Dubai International Airport appears to have been caused by the late application of takeoff power in an attempted go-around, according to the sequence of events detailed in the preliminary accident report. The report, released by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates on Sept. 6, says the pilots tried a go-around following a long landing, but moved the thrust levers from the idle position to full forward only 3 sec. before impact on the runway.
The Emirates
Boeing 777-300 operated as Flight 521 from Trivandrum International Airport in India to Dubai with 282 passengers and 18 crew on board. The aircraft slid down the runway, burst in flames and was completely destroyed. Twenty-one passengers, one cabin crewmember and one pilot suffered minor injuries, and one flight attendant was seriously injured. A firefighter died when the center fuel tank exploded 8 min, after the failed landing.
Cabin evacuation was complicated by a number of escape slides being blown against the aircraft doors by strong winds—or detaching and deflating—and also by strong smoke.
Passengers were also seen to have taken their carry-on baggage as they exited the aircraft.
The 34-year-old captain was pilot flying with 7,457 total flight hours and 5,128 hr. on the aircraft type. The 777-300 was configured for landing with flaps set at 30 and an approach speed of 152 kt. selected, as it neared runway 12L. There was a wind shear warning in place for all runways and Dubai air traffic control cleared the flight to land with wind reported from 340 deg. at 11 kt.
As the aircraft descended through 1,100 ft. at 152 kt., the wind direction started to change from a headwind component of 8 kt. to a tailwind. The autopilot was disconnected at 920 ft., but the autothrottle remained engaged. The tailwind component increased to 16 kt. The pilot flying flared the aircraft at 35 ft. and 159 kt., and the autothrottle transitioned to idle. During the flare and 5 sec. before eventual touchdown, the wind changed back to a headwind.
Wheel sensors indicated the right main landing gear touched the ground at 12:37 a.m. local time, already 1,100 meters from the threshold and at a speed of 162 kt. The left gear made contact with the runway 3 sec. later, but the nose gear remained airborne.
The aircraft’s runway awareness advisory system (RAAS) warned the crew about the long landing, following which the decision to go around was made. After liftoff, the flap lever was moved to the 20 position and the landing gear was selected to the up position. The aircraft was cleared by air traffic control for a straight runway heading and a climb to 4,000 ft. The 777 then climbed to a maximum of 85 ft. and an indicated airspeed (IAS) of 134 kt.
According to the report, the aircraft began sinking back toward the runway and the first officer called out, “Check speed.” Three seconds before impact the thrust levers were moved to full forward. One second before the aircraft hit the ground, with the gear in the process of retracting, the engines started to respond.
The GCAA did not publish the recording of pilot communications in its preliminary report. One crucial question therefore has yet to be clarified: Did the crew hit the take-off/go-around (TOGA) button (which will not automatically advance the throttles after touchdown)?
The report says: “The aircraft was in a rapidly changing and dynamic flight environment. The initial touchdown and transition of the aircraft from air to ground mode, followed by the lift-off and the changes in the aircraft configuration in the attempted go-around, involved operational modes, logics and inhibits of a number of systems, including the autothrottle, the air/ground system the weather radar and the GPWS. The characteristics of these systems, and others, will be examined during the course of the investigation.”
The GCAA did not make any safety recommendations in the report.
he was delivering a paper based manifest (as he carried something in his hand), as we see on domestic flights, but yes, I recall you saying here (probably more than once) that its ACARS delivered on these types of flights.
