On October 17, 2012, a BOEING 737 838 operated by QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED was involved in an aviation accident near Canberra, Australia. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 15 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
On October 17, 2012, a Boeing 737-838 (VH-VXB) descended below its assigned altitude and the minimum safe altitude, triggering a warning. The ATSB is investigating.
Incident Overview
On October 17, 2012, at approximately 2045 local time, a Boeing 737-838, registered as VH-VXB, descended below its assigned altitude. The aircraft also descended below the minimum safe altitude for the area of operation. Air traffic control received a minimum safe altitude warning related to the event.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-838. Its registration is VH-VXB. The exact operator and flight number are not specified in the source.
Investigation
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is conducting an investigation into the incident. No findings or cause have been released as of the source's publication.
Related events
Same aircraft family
30 Sep 2026 — Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Flydubai)
30 Sep 2026 — BOEING 737 (FlyDubai)
17 Sep 2026 — BOEING 737 (Serve Air)
17 Sep 2026 — BOEING 737 (Aeromexico)
10 Sep 2026 — BOEING 737 (TRANSAIR S.A Sénégal)
25 Aug 2026 — Boeing 737-529 (Sepehran Airlines)
22 Aug 2026 — Boeing 737-8AS (WL) (Jeju Air)
22 Aug 2026 — BOEING 737 (Jeju Air)
16 Aug 2026 — BOEING 737
15 Aug 2026 — BOEING 737 (Garuda Indonesia)
13 Aug 2026 — BOEING 737 (Malta Air)
10 Aug 2026 — Boeing 737 MAX 8 (LOT Polskie Linie Lotnicze)
What happened in the 17 Oct 2012 BOEING 737 838 accident near Canberra, Australia?
On October 17, 2012, a Boeing 737-838 (VH-VXB) descended below its assigned altitude and the minimum safe altitude, triggering a warning. The ATSB is investigating.
Were there any fatalities in the 17 Oct 2012 BOEING 737 838 accident?
No fatalities were recorded in this accident.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 17 Oct 2012 involved a BOEING 737 838, operated by QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED, at Canberra, Australia.
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