Emirates’ 2016 Dubai Crash Update Released

August 7, 2017

An interim report on the crash of an Emirates Boeing 777 in Dubai last year has been released on the first anniversary of the accident.

The 777 hit the runway at Dubai International Airport while attempting a go-around after a flight from Thiruvananthapuram’s Trivandrum Airport in India.

The aircraft operating flight EK521 touched down at 08:37 UTC, but the pilot initiated a go-around and attempted to become airborne again. The plane reached an altitude of 85 feet before sinking back onto the runway and catching fire.

All three hundred people onboard, 282 passengers and 18 crew, evacuated the aircraft by emergency slides. Thirty people were injured, four cabin crew members seriously, and 26 sustained minor injuries. A firefighter died later after a central fuel tank exploded.

The interim report, from the Air Accident Investigation Sector of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said the investigation was looking at “human performance factors that influenced flight crew actions during the landing and attempted go-around.”

The GCAA said it has made a detailed examination of the aircraft’s evacuation systems, including the operation of emergency escape slides, and tested many of the 777’s systems.

The investigators reviewed and identified safety improvements to weather information validity, and communication between air traffic controllers and the flight crew.

The final report may not be ready for another year.

The US National Transportation Safety Board, and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch are part of the investigation as regulators of the countries that manufactured the aircraft and its Rolls-Royce engines, respectively.

(Airwise)