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How Passengers Survived Emirates Flight 407

On that fateful night, an Airbus A340 filled with about 300 passengers was speeding down the runway at Melbourne Airport in preparation for take-off. Despite attempts by the co-pilot to lift the aircraft, it was unable to get off the ground and continued to dive towards the end of the runway. 

The tail scraped violently against the runway, producing sparks and illuminating the cabin with firelight. As the plane struggled to take off, passengers were terrified. Would the plane be able to take off, or would this be Australia's worst aviation tragedy?

The chilling story of Emirates Flight 407 is a story not only about machines but also about the human mind.

Pre-flight preparations and critical mistakes

That evening, all 257 passengers and crew boarded Emirates Flight 407 for the four-hour journey to Dubai. There were four pilots, two in charge of take-off and landing, and two standby pilots to replace the main crew. According to Emirates procedures, the support crew would also be present for take-off and landing.

The flight conditions were ideal, the Airbus A340 was a five-year-old, state-of-the-art four-engine aircraft and appeared well prepared. However, despite the captain pilot and co-pilot each having over 8,000 hours of flying experience. 

They made a simple but critical mistake during the pre-flight check. The co-pilot mistakenly entered a take-off weight into the system that was 100 tons lighter than the actual weight of the aircraft. 

This miscalculation caused the flight computer to drastically reduce the engine power required for take-off.

A chain of missed warnings

The error was not detected, despite the numerous error-checking protocols implemented. Incorrect data was entered into the flight management computer and the final verification process designed to detect such errors was not properly implemented. As a result, the aircraft attempted to take off with insufficient power and incorrect flap settings.

At 10.30 am, the airplane was aligned to the runway. The co-pilot rotated the side stick to lift the nose, but the aircraft was too heavy. 

The nose lifted but the rest of the airplane remained on the ground. The tail wing hit the runway hard, sparking sparks and bursting into flames. The captain was determined and opened the engines at full throttle.

A fight for survival

The plane barely lifted off the ground and grazed the runway lights and airport antennas. Smoke and burning metal filled the cabin and passengers panicked. The damaged fuselage made it impossible to maintain cabin pressure, but the crew knew they had no choice but to return to Melbourne. But the plane was heavy and carrying more than 130 tons of fuel, making a safe landing impossible.

Emergency refueling and turnaround

Flying over the sea, the pilot released 80 tons of fuel to reduce the weight of the aircraft to a safe level. Despite damage to the tail and a tear in the structure, the crew prepared for an emergency landing. Tensions rose when the cabin crew reported the smell of smoke in the cabin.

Safe landing and lessons learned

At 01:36, after enduring an incredibly stressful ordeal, the pilot managed to land the badly damaged plane safely on runway 34. Remarkably, there were no flames in sight and all 257 passengers and 18 crew members were safe. This accident is a reminder of how simple human error can lead to disaster.

The story of Emirates Flight 407 is a powerful example of the important role that human judgment plays in aviation safety and how even experienced professionals can make catastrophic mistakes.