WE CAN'T LAND! The Incredible Story of Air India 101
Wyngx・16 minutes read
Air India Flight 101 faced multiple instrument failures during its approach to JFK Airport, endangering the lives of 357 people on board, leading to a successful landing at Newark Airport despite critical fuel levels and ongoing challenges. Despite facing instrument failures, the crew effectively managed resources and coordinated to ensure a safe landing, with the root cause likely a malfunctioning main computer.
Insights
- The crew of Air India Flight 101 encountered a series of critical instrument failures, including the loss of ILS, TCAS, and multiple other systems, leading to a high-stress situation with low fuel levels, emphasizing the complexity and challenges faced by the pilots during the landing process.
- Despite the multitude of instrument failures, the crew exhibited effective crew resource management by coordinating with each other and air traffic control, ultimately making the decision to land at Newark Airport with a lower cloud ceiling due to fuel constraints, highlighting the importance of communication and decision-making in crisis situations.
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Recent questions
What challenges did Air India Flight 101 face during its approach to JFK Airport?
The crew of Air India Flight 101 encountered multiple instrument failures, including the loss of the ILS device crucial for landing, heavy rain, poor visibility, low fuel levels, and issues with various systems such as the Apu, radio altimeter, and TCAS. These challenges raised concerns about the safety of the 357 people on board, leading the crew to make critical decisions to ensure a safe landing.
What type of aircraft was Air India Flight 101 operating?
Air India Flight 101 was operated by a Boeing 7300 extended range twin jet with two GE90 1115B engines. The flight required four pilots due to its 15-hour duration, and the crew faced various technical issues with the aircraft's systems during the approach to JFK Airport.
How did the crew of Air India Flight 101 handle the instrument failures during the landing?
The crew of Air India Flight 101 faced instrument failures, including the loss of the ILS device crucial for landing. Despite these challenges, the pilots attempted an LNAV VNAV approach using GPS, reported various failures to the approach controller, and demonstrated effective crew resource management by coordinating with each other and air traffic control to ensure a safe landing.
What factors influenced the crew's decision to attempt a landing at Newark Airport?
The crew of Air India Flight 101 decided to attempt a landing at Newark Airport with a 400 ft cloud ceiling, lower than their initial preference, due to critical fuel levels and ongoing instrument failures. The crew had to weigh the risks of landing at an alternate airport with better weather conditions against the dwindling fuel reserves and the challenges posed by multiple instrument failures.
What was the prevailing hypothesis regarding the root cause of the instrument failures on Air India Flight 101?
The root cause of the instrument failures on Air India Flight 101 remains unknown, with a prevailing hypothesis pointing to the main computer malfunctioning and providing inaccurate values to the pilots. Despite the challenges faced during the approach to JFK Airport, the crew managed to land the aircraft safely after breaking through clouds and aligning with the center line, showcasing effective crew resource management in a high-stress environment.
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Summary
00:00
Air India Flight 101: Instrument Failures Crisis
- Air India Flight 101, on September 11th, 2018, faced multiple instrument failures during its approach to JFK Airport in New York after a 14-hour flight.
- The pilots lost the ILS device crucial for landing, faced heavy rain and poor visibility, and were running low on fuel, with the lives of 357 people on board at stake.
- The flight was operated by a Boeing 7300 extended range twin jet with two GE90 1115B engines, flown by four pilots due to its 15-hour duration.
- The crew faced issues with the Apu not functioning, unloaded 800 kilos of fuel for potential weather issues, and encountered a radio altimeter failure over Pakistani airspace.
- The loss of the TCAS system over the Atlantic Ocean raised concerns, as it helps prevent mid-air collisions, adding to the crew's workload and worries about multiple instrument failures.
- Approaching JFK, the pilots struggled with the ILS failure, attempted an LNAV VNAV approach using GPS, and faced a false alarm regarding the landing gear not being fully down.
- With the need for a minimum cloud ceiling of 600 ft for a visual landing, the crew faced fuel depletion and had to decide on alternate airports with better weather conditions.
- The crew opted to attempt a landing at Newark Airport with a 400 ft ceiling, despite it being lower than their initial preference, due to critical fuel levels and ongoing instrument failures.
- The pilots reported various failures to the approach controller, including the ILS, radar altimeters, TAS, Auto Land, wind shear system, Auto speed brake, and ATIS.
- With only 7,200 kg of fuel left, the crew faced a precarious situation, highlighting the critical nature of their decisions and the challenges they were navigating.
17:54
High-Stress Landing: Crew Overcomes Instrument Failures
- The emergency response team was alerted due to a computer failure on a Boeing Triple 7 Whiskey model with 270 passengers and 72,000 kilos of fuel, after flying for over 14 hours in a high-stress environment. The pilots faced challenges landing the fully loaded plane without all instruments, correcting the descent path to avoid going around a second time, and finally landing safely after breaking through clouds and aligning with the center line.
- Despite facing instrument failures, the crew demonstrated effective crew resource management, coordinating with each other and air traffic control to ensure a safe landing. The root cause of the failures remains unknown, with a prevailing hypothesis pointing to the main computer malfunctioning, providing inaccurate values to the pilots.
