The uncertainties and risks of flying were again brought into perspective to the world on 27th July, 2010, as Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8460 crashed in a tragic accident while trying to land at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane crash highlighted the complexity involved in the management of an aircraft and the complete priority of crew procedure and training.
Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8460, a routine cargo flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Hong Kong with stopovers at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, departed on a routine-appearing flight. The initial flight from Frankfurt to Riyadh was normal, and nice weather welcomed it on arrival in Riyadh.
The pilots settled for landing as the aircraft descended onto King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh. It was to be a routine landing but ended in disaster. The aircraft landed severely, bouncing twice on the runway before it disintegrated. Landing and after-bounces fractured the airframe severely.
The two pilots who were on board narrowly survived this horrific accident miraculously, although they were injured. There was also a fire that ravaged the midsection of the plane following the accident but was subsequently put out by the airport rescue teams.
A Cascade of Events
The investigation into the accident uncovered a sequence of events leading to the calamitous effect. It was caused by a hard landing landing, which initiated a sequence reaction. The airplane bounced when it initially contacted, and the crew's actions unintentionally aggravated the problem. The bounces became more violent until there was an awful third touchdown that sheared off the rear fuselage and wrecked the airplane disastrously.
The Hard Lessons Learned
The accident pointed out the shortfalls in recognition of bounced landings, particularly in certain aircraft like the MD-11. One of the main reasons was that the crew was unable to properly identify the first bounce and take the appropriate action accordingly to prevent subsequent hard bounces.
As a result of this tragic accident and a couple of such accidents on MD-11 flights earlier, the air transport sector could not help but reaffirm training procedures, protocols, and flight instruments. The investigation's final report made extremely vital recommendations to augment crew training, normalize procedures for handling bounced landings, and implement improved flight instruments to guide crews in identifying and preventing such instances.
A Turning Point for Safety
Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8460 crash was an eyes-opener for the aviation industry, as it reminded everyone that pilot training and safety protocol had to be constantly enhanced to ensure the security of aviation. With the industry now having learned a lesson from this accident, efforts were increased to ensure aircraft crew members have the proper knowledge and devices at hand to deal with adverse situations, reducing opportunities for such crashes in the future.
Although events of that fateful day will always be etched in the annals of aviation history, they also bear witness to the brotherhood of flyers' strong commitment to uphold safety, learn from the past, and correct mistakes of yore while working relentlessly towards a better tomorrow in the skies.
