Co-pilot unaware of Japan plane plunge for 17 seconds | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Co-pilot unaware of Japan plane plunge for 17 seconds

AFP | By, Tokyo
Aug 31, 2012 12:44 PM IST

A co-pilot who sent his Japanese passenger jet into a nose-dive when he mistook a rudder control for a door lock did not notice anything was wrong for 17 seconds, a government report said Friday.

A co-pilot who sent his Japanese passenger jet into a nose-dive when he mistook a rudder control for a door lock did not notice anything was wrong for 17 seconds, a government report said Friday.

HT Image
HT Image

The All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, with 117 passengers and crew on board, dived 1,900 metres (about 6,300 feet) in 30 seconds from a height of about 41,000 feet.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The flight, bound for Tokyo from Okinawa, almost turned upside down during the incident on September 6 last year, the Japan Transport Safety Board said. The plunge happened over the Pacific Ocean when the co-pilot, who worked for a now defunct subsidiary of ANA, tried to unlock the cockpit door for the captain after he had been to the toilet.

Instead of the door lock, the co-pilot touched the rudder control, sending the plane veering to the right, before it lurched back to the left. A chronology included in the written report showed that the co-pilot only noticed something was wrong 17 seconds after the rudder was operated. Images from the flight recorder on the Boeing 737-700 showed the plane dropped sharply and tipped more than 130 degrees to the left at one point. However, because it was dark outside, many of those onboard did not realise the plane had almost flipped over, the report said. Two crew members suffered minor injuries but the plane later touched down safely at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On