Was LOCKDOWN behind TUI Airways jet’s 1,200ft horror plunge? Pilots who ‘had not flown for substantial periods over 18 months’ may have caused plane to rapidly descend on approach to Aberdeen Airport, report finds
- There were 67 passengers and six crew on-board the Tui jet when it plunged
- It had climbed up to 3,000ft before it then rapidly descended down to 1,780 ft
- A report said pilots being grounded during lockdown may have been to blame
The rapid plunge of a Tui Airways plane on approach to Aberdeen Airport has been linked to its pilots being grounded for long periods during the coronavirus pandemic, a report has found.
Sixty-seven passengers and six crew were on board the flight when it was involved in a ‘serious incident’ as it approached Aberdeen Airport on September 11.
It was instructed to climb to 3,000ft but plummeted rapidly back down to 1,780 – with a report suggesting the pilots’ lack of flying during lockdown may have been to blame.
Sixty-seven passengers and six crew were on board the Tui flight when it was involved in a ‘serious incident’ (stock photo)
It was instructed to climb to 3,000ft but plummeted rapidly back down to 1,780 on the approach to Aberdeen Airport
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the pilots were instructed by air traffic control (ATC) to abort the landing due to a search-and-rescue helicopter in the area.
After climbing close to the altitude of 3,000ft requested , the Boeing 737 ‘deviated significantly from the expected flight path’ by descending to as low as 1,780 ft at a speed more than 40% quicker than the one selected by the pilots.
This was a ‘high rate of descent’ and an increase in speed which was ‘not corrected in a timely manner’, the AAIB said.
It took 57 seconds for the crew to increase the altitude and correct the flightpath, before safely landing the aircraft following the flight from the Spanish island of Majorca.
An investigation into the cause of the incident continues but the preliminary report noted the pilots had experienced ‘significant periods without flying in the preceding 18 months’.
It was the first officer’s fourth flight in nearly 11 months while the captain had flown 10 flights during the previous month.
Air travel has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, with flight numbers heavily reduced.
The report stated both pilots had completed flight simulator sessions during the virus crisis but warned it can be ‘difficult in the simulated environment to replicate moments of high crew workload’.
It added: ‘Regulators have been concerned that pilots returning to the flight deck following extended periods without flying could be at risk of performing below their normal standard during their first few flights.
‘Although this investigation has not established a link between this event and a lack of line flying, this special bulletin is published for awareness and because a link is clearly one possibility.’
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