Modern aircraft are designed to be able to operate under a degree of weather-induced stress. This is why we are able to see aircraft making spectacular crosswind landings, rather than not attempting to fly in such conditions. However, sometimes, unexpected weather phenomena can threaten aircraft, as happened to an Aeroméxico Connect Embraer in 2018.
The flight and aircraft involved
Aeroméxico Connect flight 2431 was a scheduled domestic flight that originated at Durango General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport (DGO) in Central Mexico. According to data from RadarBox.com, the Mexican flag carrier’s regional subsidiary last operated this service on June 29th, 2021. Its destination was Mexico City International Airport (MEX).
Durango-Mexico City remains a key route today, with VivaAerobus and Volaris also having a presence on this domestic corridor. On July 31st, 2018, the aircraft operating flight 5D2431 was an Embraer E190 registered as XA-GAL. Data from ch-aviation.com shows that it was 10.21 years old at the time, having entered service with US Airways in May 2008.
On the date in question, the flight had 98 passengers and five crew members onboard. The latter of these groups consisted of two flight attendants and three pilots. The makeup of the cockpit crew came under scrutiny after what happened just after takeoff.
.jpg){kind=link}
Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.
What happened?
The flight had a scheduled departure time of 14:56. However, an investigation into a fuel leak delayed this slightly, with pushback instead occurring at 15:14 local time. Amid stormy conditions of heavy rain and high winds, the aircraft received takeoff clearance at 15:21, despite the air traffic controller reportedly being unable to see the runway.
Just before this, an updated weather report had been sent through regarding the conditions. However, the air traffic controller was working alone at the time and didn’t see the message. Similarly, a second warning concerning a further drop in visibility never reached the tower. This was because high winds had uprooted trees and taken out power lines.
As such, the aircraft continued its takeoff roll, but only reached an altitude of 30 feet. It was at this point that it encountered a microburst, causing a sudden change in wind direction. This caused a drop in speed and altitude, prompting the jet to crash back down to earth.
It later emerged that the pilot in command was not yet certified on the E190. He had retracted the landing gear at an altitude of two feet, meaning that the jet skidded beyond the end of the runway after hitting the ground. Thankfully, all 103 occupants escaped the E190 before it caught fire, writing the plane off. 39 received injuries, of which 14 were serious.
What is a microburst?
So, what is the nature of the phenomenon that caused the crash? Microbursts refer to downbursts of air concentrated on a small area. Under such conditions, winds emanate above the ground and blow down before spreading in all directions before hitting the surface. This caused the wind shear that brought down Aeroméxico Connect flight 2431.
What do you make of this incident? Have you ever encountered such weather conditions on your travels? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
from Simple Flying https://ift.tt/33u5L40
via IFTTT
Comments
Post a Comment