The Chilling Story of Emirates Flight 407
On that fateful night, an Airbus A340 filled with about 300
passengers was speeding down the runway at Melbourne Airport in preparation for
take-off. Despite attempts by the co-pilot to lift the aircraft, it was unable
to get off the ground and continued to dive towards the end of the runway. The
tail scraped violently against the runway, producing sparks and illuminating
the cabin with firelight. As the plane struggled to take off, passengers were
terrified. Would the plane be able to take off, or would this be Australia's
worst aviation tragedy? The chilling story of Emirates Flight 407 is a story
not only about machines but also about the human mind.
Pre-flight preparations and critical mistakes
That evening, all 257 passengers and crew boarded Emirates
Flight 407 for the four-hour journey to Dubai. There were four pilots, two in
charge of take-off and landing, and two standby pilots to replace the main
crew. According to Emirates procedures, the support crew would also be present
for take-off and landing.
The flight conditions were ideal, the Airbus A340 was a
five-year-old, state-of-the-art four-engine aircraft and appeared well
prepared. However, despite the captain pilot and co-pilot each having over
8,000 hours of flying experience, they made a simple but critical mistake
during the pre-flight check. The co-pilot mistakenly entered a take-off weight
into the system that was 100 tons lighter than the actual weight of the
aircraft. This miscalculation caused the flight computer to
drastically reduce the engine power required for take-off.
A chain of missed
warnings
The error was not detected, despite the numerous error
checking protocols implemented. Incorrect data was entered into the flight
management computer and the final verification process designed to detect such
errors was not properly implemented. As a result, the aircraft attempted to
take off with insufficient power and incorrect flap settings.
At 10.30 am, the airplane was aligned to the runway. The
co-pilot rotated the side stick to lift the nose, but the aircraft was too
heavy. The nose lifted but the rest of the airplane remained on the ground. The
tail wing hit the runway hard, sparking sparks and bursting into flames. The
captain was determined and opened the engines at full throttle.
A fight for survival
The plane barely lifted off the ground and grazed the runway
lights and airport antennas. Smoke and burning metal filled the cabin and
passengers panicked. The damaged fuselage made it impossible to maintain cabin
pressure, but the crew knew they had no choice but to return to Melbourne. But
the plane was heavy and carrying more than 130 tons of fuel, making a safe
landing impossible.
Emergency refueling
and turnaround
Flying over the sea, the pilot released 80 tons of fuel to
reduce the weight of the aircraft to a safe level. Despite damage to the tail
and a tear in the structure, the crew prepared for an emergency landing.
Tensions rose when the cabin crew reported the smell of smoke in the cabin.
Safe landing and
lessons learned
At 01:36, after enduring an incredibly stressful ordeal, the
pilot managed to land the badly damaged plane safely on runway 34. Remarkably,
there were no flames in sight and all 257 passengers and 18 crew members were
safe. This accident is a reminder of how simple human error can lead to
disaster.
The story of Emirates Flight 407 is a powerful example of
the important role that human judgment plays in aviation safety and how even
experienced professionals can make catastrophic mistakes.
