Ryanair Boeing 737-800 descent below profile at London Gatwick

No fatalities • London, United Kingdom

A Ryanair flight operating a Boeing 737-800 descended below its assigned approach profile during a visual approach to London Gatwick Airport.

What happened

On February 07, 2012, at 12:04 UTC, a Boeing 737-800, registration EI-ENT, was performing a visual approach to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) in London, United Kingdom. During the approach, the flight crew allowed the aircraft to descend below the established approach profile. As the aircraft reached an altitude that was too low, the crew received a terrain alert message. The crew subsequently corrected the flight profile, and the aircraft landed safely. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.

The investigation

The investigation was conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom's Department for Transport. The NTSB appointed an Accredited Representative to assist the investigation as the State of Manufacture and Design.

All Boeing 737-800 accidents →

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 7 Feb 2012 BOEING 737 800 accident near London, United Kingdom?

A Ryanair flight operating a Boeing 737-800 descended below its assigned approach profile during a visual approach to London Gatwick Airport.

Were there any fatalities in the 7 Feb 2012 BOEING 737 800 accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 7 Feb 2012 involved a BOEING 737 800, operated by RYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES INC, at London, United Kingdom.

Loading the flight search…

What you can do on Flight Finder

  • Search flights between any two airports with live fares.
  • By aircraft — pick a plane model (e.g. Boeing 787, Airbus A350) and see every route it flies from your origin.
  • Route map — click any airport worldwide to explore its destinations, or draw a radius to find nearby airports.
  • Global aviation safety — aviation accident database, 40,000+ records since 1980, with map and rankings by aircraft and operator.
  • NTSB safety feed — recent U.S. aviation accidents and incidents from the official NTSB CAROL database, updated daily.