Flybe flight descends 500ft in 18 seconds due to pilot error

A Flybe plane travelling from Belfast to Glasgow dropped 500ft in just 18 seconds after the pilot selected the wrong autopilot mode in error.

A new Air Accidents Investigation Branch report has revealed that the incident, which happened in January, occurred because when the plane had climbed to 1,500ft the pilot inputted the desired altitude as 0ft.

According to the Daily Record, because the plane had reached the maximum rate of descent at 4,300ft per minute, the plane would have hit the ground in a matter of seconds had the pilot not realised his error and intervened.

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The report said warnings alerted the pilot, who fixed the error at 928ft from the ground, staff reported that the plane “had become visual with the ground”.

The plane had taken off from Belfast on 11 January and was headed towards Glasgow, with 44 passengers and four members of crew on board. After the incident the plane was able to continue to Glasgow and land without incident.

Following the incident Flybe has intervened, revising pilot simulator training and the amendments for pre-pilot takeoff checklists.

A statement from Flybe said the airline “maintains a rigorous approach to ensuring the very highest flying standards are maintained,” according to BBC.

“Flybe implemented remedial actions quickly in response to the incident and our training and procedures have been amended to minimise the risk of a recurrence.”