Lecture Notes: British Airways Flight 9 Incident

Overview

• Date: June 24, 1982
• Flight: British Airways Flight 9 (Speedbird 9)
• Route: London Heathrow to Auckland with stops in Bombay, Madras, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, and Melbourne.
• Aircraft: Boeing 747 "City of Edinburgh"
• Passengers: 247 passengers, 100 tons of fuel on board

Flight Conditions

• Relaxed atmosphere on board
• Clear weather, no thunderstorms or technical issues
• Cruising altitude of 37,000 feet

Incident Begins

• Time: around 8:40 p.m. Jakarta time
• Captain Eric Moody called back to the flight deck due to:
  • Smoke rising from vents
  • Intense St. Elmo's fire on windshields
• Confusing weather radar showing clear conditions

Smoke and Engine Failures

• Smoke started to accumulate in the cabin, resembling cigarette smoke with sulfur smell
• Engines began to flame out:
  • 8:42 p.m.: Engine 4 failed
  • 8:43 p.m.: Engines 1, 2, and 3 also flamed out
• Plane became a glider with glide capability of 15 miles for every mile dropped
• Communication with Air Traffic Control:
  • Emergency declared, but control misunderstood the situation initially

Emergency Landing Attempt

• Decided to attempt a water landing in the Indian Ocean due to inability to maintain altitude
• Captain's announcement to passengers described as a "masterpiece of understatement"
  • Passengers remained calm; many wrote last notes
• Cabin pressure dropped; oxygen masks deployed

Descent and Engine Restart

• Captain executed a nosedive to regain breathable altitude (13,500 feet)
• Miraculously, Engine 4 restarted at 8:56 p.m.
• Eventually, all engines were restarted after leaving the ash cloud

Approach and Landing

• Encountered visibility issues upon approaching Jakarta
• Manual landing performed due to equipment failures
• Successful smooth landing; passengers applauded the crew

Investigation

• Cause of incident: Flight entered a cloud of volcanic ash from Mount Gulagong
  • Ash clogged engines and damaged windshields
  • Ash melted in combustion chambers causing engine shutdowns
• Airspace temporarily closed, later permanently rerouted following another incident

Recognition

• Captain Eric Moody received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
• All flight crew awarded medals from the British Airline Pilots Association

Reflection

• Consider the impact of calmness in crisis situations
• Importance of effective communication and teamwork during emergencies
• The significance of understanding volcanic ash effects on aviation.