THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pilots of ill-fated Emirates flight EK 521 from Thiruvananthapuram which went into flames at Dubai airport last month may have erred while aborting a landing, says a preliminary report published by Civil Aviation Authority of United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
Though the report did not mention any technical problem in the aircraft with a manufacturing date of 27 March 2003, it mentioned that the pilots tried to climb up after the flight made a touch down, which was too low.
The 28-page report by United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority, the aircraft became airborne after the landing gear first touched down, and pilots retracted flaps and the landing gear. This caused the aircraft to climb before landing again, said the report.
However the report did not explicitly blame the pilots. “The sole objective of this investigation is to prevent aircraft accidents and incidents. It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability.” stated the report.
The information contained in the report was derived from the data collected during the ongoing investigation of the accident.
All the 282 passengers and crew escaped from the flight through emergency exit before the fire destroyed the aircraft completely. There were 23 minor and a major injuries reported.
Passenger behaviour
Passengers trying to grab their baggage during emergency evacuation has found a special mention in the report. The cabin crew members stated that when the aircraft impacted and slid along the runway, passengers started to unfasten their seatbelts and stand up. An announcement was made for the passengers to remain seated. When the aircraft came to rest, some passengers were screaming, grabbing their belongings, and asking the cabin crew members to open the doors.
The cabin crew members followed the Operator’s safety instructions that prohibit passengers taking their carry-on baggage during an evacuation, and they instructed the passengers to leave their bags behind.
However, several passengers evacuated the aircraft carrying their baggage, said the report. Footage of the evacuation showed a number of passengers outside the aircraft with their baggage.