Qatar Airways investigates after 787 rapidly descends after take-off

Posted on : 02/08/2023
Qatar Airways investigates after 787 rapidly descends after take-off
Travel 

Qatar Airways launches investigation after one of its Boeing Dreamliners rapidly descended and came within SECONDS of hitting the water after taking off from Doha

  • The 787-8 departed Doha at 2am on January 9, bound for Copenhagen 
  • The Dreamliner climbed to 1,800 feet, but then lost 1,000 feet within 24 seconds
  • The pilot ‘lost situational awareness’ and the flap speed limit was exceeded

Qatar Airways has launched an internal investigation after one of its Boeing Dreamliners came within seconds of hitting the water after taking off from Hamad International Airport, the carrier’s hub in Doha.

The 787-8, registration A7-BCO, departed Doha at 2am on January 9, bound for Copenhagen.

After leaving the ground the Dreamliner, with the first officer in control, climbed to around 1,800 feet – but then lost 1,000 feet within 24 seconds for reasons unknown, according to the AV Herald.

With the aircraft descending at a rate of 50 feet a second, the captain took over, pulling the aircraft up at 800 feet – or 16 seconds – above the Persian Gulf, reported the publication.

According to information it received, the first officer was flying manually without directions from the ‘flight director’. This is a computer-generated marker on the Primary Flight Display (which shows the horizon) that guides pilots along the correct flight path.

Qatar Airways has launched an internal investigation after one of its Boeing Dreamliners came within seconds of hitting the water after taking off from Hamad International Airport (stock image)

The first officer apparently ‘lost situational awareness’ and the aircraft descended so quickly it ‘exceeded the flap speed limit’.

Once the captain regained control, the aircraft – operating flight QR161 – continued to Copenhagen, where it landed safely six hours after departing from Doha.

Qatar Airways told MailOnline Travel that the incident was reported to the authorities ‘immediately’.

A statement from the carrier read: ‘Qatar Airways is aware of an event relating to flight QR161 operating Doha to Copenhagen on January 10, 2023. It was immediately reported to authorities and an internal investigation is being carried out.

‘The airline follows the most stringent standards of safety, training and reporting and is working to address any findings in line with industry norms.’

Last year Qatar Airways was named the world’s best airline for a record seventh year in a row at the ‘Oscars of Aviation’.

The carrier reigned supreme over 350 airlines at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022, with Singapore Airlines in second place and Emirates in third.

The 787-8 departed Doha (above, stock image) at 2am on January 9, bound for Copenhagen. After leaving the ground the Dreamliner climbed to around 1,800 feet – but then lost 1,000 feet within 24 seconds for reasons unknown

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