A SOFTWARE error on a TUI plane taking off from Bristol for Gran Canaria nearly caused a disaster with 163 passengers onboard.
The incident happened on March 4 with the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch describing the issue as ‘serious’.
The plane- a TUI Boeing 737-800- had problems taking off due to to a software error that stopped it from gaining altitude in time.
READ MORE:
It managed to take off when there were only 260 metres of runway left and was barely flying at a height of three metres.
It passed over the busy A38 road at a height of less than 30 metres.
Air authorities have issued a special warning to airlines using the new-generation Boeing 737-800 series about the software issue that jeopardised the safety of the Gran C anaria flight.
According to investigators, TUI’s Boeing ‘completed a take-off from runway 9 at Bristol with insufficient thrust to meet regulated performance’.
Planes that take off with insufficient thrust are at risk of stalling and crashing into the ground.
The report sails the aircraft’s automatic acceleration system was disabled when the crew selected take-off mode.
Instead of the 92.8% thrust needed to take off safely, the plane went down the runway on only 84.5% thrust.
