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'Serious' software glitch meant plane taking off from Bristol barely cleared the runway

The jet - carrying 163 passengers and six crew members, only managed to take to the AG百家乐在线官网 with 260m (853ft) of runway remaining, and passed over the nearby A38 at a height of under 30m (100ft).

Friday 7 June 2024 11:02, UK

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft of the German airline Tuifly only managed to clear Bristol Airport's ninth runway by 10 metres. Pic: AP
Image: AP file pic
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A "serious" software glitch meant a plane taking off from Bristol Airport barely cleared the end of the runway.

The TUI Boeing 737-800 was departing for Gran Canaria on 4 March when issues with the auto-throttle emerged, and the incident is now being examined by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

The jet - carrying 163 passengers and six crew members, only managed to take to the AG百家乐在线官网 with 260m (853ft) of runway remaining and cleared the end of the tarmac at a height of just 3m (10ft).

It then passed over the nearby A38 at a height of under 30m (100ft).

The AAIB's report says the aircraft's acceleration performance was significantly worse than other aircraft taking off at Bristol Airport. The incident take-off is shown by the red arrow, far to the left of the bulk of data between the two red lines where take-offs are usually recorded.
Image: The aircraft's acceleration performance was significantly worse than other aircraft taking off at Bristol Airport. Pic: AAIB

According to the AAIB, Boeing was aware of the software glitch before the incident.

A field investigation report said that the auto-throttle disengaged when take-off mode was selected. Neither pilot noticed that the thrust was set incorrectly, and it wasn't picked up through standard operating procedures.

A review of the software problems affecting the flight showed 11 faults were logged on flight to Las Palmas, though no faults were recorded during a journey to the UK a day earlier.

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Boeing told investigators that the auto-throttle system on their 737 Next Generation jets had a "long history of nuisance disconnects during take-off mode engagements" - but that, when investigated, "usually, subsequent functionality checks on the system find no faults".

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A fault record for the initial auto-throttle disconnection, showing the suspected cause as "ASM 1"
Image: A fault record for the initial auto-throttle disconnection, showing the suspected cause as 'ASM 1'. Pic: AAIB

A TUI UK & Ireland spokesperson told Sky News: "We have worked closely with the authorities to provide all available information.

"The AAIB recommendations and learnings resulting from this take-off will support the whole aviation sector and other airlines. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority."

The AAIB's investigation will continue "to examine all pertinent factors associated with this serious incident" and will issue a final report "in due course".

Sky News has contacted Boeing for comment.

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