Flight to the Canaries was in ‘Serious Danger’ of crashing due to serious technical issues


Flight to the Canaries was in ‘Serious Danger’ of crashing due to serious technical issues

A flight bound for the Canary Islands narrowly avoided disaster due to significant technical problems, according to information released in a detailed report yesterday (Friday) by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The TUIfly flight BY6114 encountered serious issues during take-off from Bristol bound for Gran Canaria.

The incident involved a Boeing 737-800 carrying 163 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew members at 6.55am on March 4th of this year. The AAIB report revealed that a technical failure with the aircraft's automatic throttles, which control the propulsion of the engines, left the plane just three metres off the ground at the end of the runway.

The aircraft managed to take off at the very last moment, flying only 30 metres above a nearby road, a dangerously low altitude for that phase of the flight.

Despite the critical situation during take-off, the aircraft eventually gained altitude and continued its journey to Gran Canaria without further incident.

The report highlighted a significant oversight by the flight crew: although it is mandatory to check that engine power is set correctly before take-off, they did not notice the issue until they were already accelerating down the runway. They became aware of the problem as they approached the end of the runway and had no choice but to carry on as it was too late to abort the take-off.

The AAIB emphasised that "neither of the pilots realised the thrust was incorrectly set, and this was not detected through standard operating procedures (SOPs)." However, this oversight could have led to catastrophic consequences if not for the aircraft's timely lift-off.

This incident highlights the importance of rigorous adherence to pre-flight checks and the need for constant vigilance by flight crews to ensure passenger safety. The AAIB's findings serve as a stark reminder of the potential dangers posed by technical failures and human error in aviation.

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