Emirates flight EK521 attempted ‘go-around’ before Dubai accident

The Air Accident Investigation Sector, AAIS, of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, GCAA, on Tuesday issued a preliminary report concerning the accident involving Emirates Airline Flight EK521 from Trivandrum International Airport, India, to Dubai International Airport on August 3, 2016.

“The Boeing 777-300 aircraft, registered as A6-EMW, was destroyed following the impact with the runway and the subsequent fire," the GCAA said in a press release.

The preliminary report states that following an attempted go-around, the aircraft descended rapidly from a height of approximately 85 feet at 134 knots, back onto the runway, sliding for approximately 800 metres before coming to rest.

Details from the report further state:  “As the flight neared Dubai, the crew received the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) Information Zulu, which included a windshear warning for all runways.”

The report further states the Aircraft aft fuselage impacted the runway abeam at 125 knots, with a nose-up pitch angle of 9.5 degrees, and at a rate of descent of 900 feet per minute.

This was followed by the impact of the engines on the runway.

Final investigation awaits

All of the 300 passengers and crew were evacuated from the aircraft safely before a fire consumed the cabin, it added.

The report confirms 21 passengers, one flight crewmember, and one cabin crewmember sustained minor injuries, and a second cabin crewmember sustained a serious injury.

Approximately nine minutes after the Aircraft came to rest, a firefighter was fatally injured as a result of the explosion of the center fuel tank.

In accordance with international protocols of aircraft accident investigation, the preliminary report contains only factual information related to the accident and contains no analysis, or conclusions.

The final report, which will be issued at the conclusion of the investigation, will contain analysis of the facts, and conclusions.

The analysis aims to identify the cause(s) and the factors that contributed to the accident, the GCAA said.

The investigation team is led by the AAIS investigator-in-charge, IIC, and comprises the accredited representatives of the states of manufacture of the aircraft (United States) and the engines (United Kingdom).

In addition, technical representatives of Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Emirates Airline have been assigned roles as advisers to the IIC and the accredited representatives.

The Director-General of the GCAA, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, said, "During the course of rescue and firefighting, an explosion occurred which resulted in the tragic death of a firefighter.

“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the deceased, and at the same time we hope that the grief of his family is made more bearable by the knowledge that his courageous behaviour helped to ensure the survival of all the people on board the flight."

The Assistant Director-General of the AAIS, Ismaeil Al Hosani, said, "The investigation team is continuing to examine the aircraft and flight data.

“Analysis of the data extracted from the flight recorders is ongoing to determine the technical performance of the aircraft and systems, and crew control inputs and performance.

“In-depth analysis will be carried out to examine the operator’s policies and procedures for such flight conditions." (With staff inputs)