On January 4, 2013, a BOEING 737 8FE operated by VIRGIN AIR INC was involved in an aviation accident near Launceston, Australia. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The crew did not select the appropriate vertical mode and the aircraft pitched forward to maintain minimum speed. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 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 4 January 2013, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 experienced a pitch excursion during climb after the crew failed to select the appropriate vertical mode. No injuries occurred. Investigation ongoing.
Incident Details
On 4 January 2013, at approximately 2020 local time, a Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VUZ, operated by Virgin Australia on a flight from Launceston to Melbourne, experienced a pitch excursion. The incident occurred during the climb phase. During the climb, the crew did not select the appropriate vertical mode, and the aircraft pitched forward to maintain minimum speed. There were no injuries reported among passengers or crew.
Investigation
The incident is being investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). As of the initial report, the investigation is continuing. The ATSB has not yet released any further findings or a probable cause determination.
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 4 Jan 2013 BOEING 737 8FE accident near Launceston, Australia?
On 4 January 2013, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 experienced a pitch excursion during climb after the crew failed to select the appropriate vertical mode. No injuries occurred. Investigation ongoing.
Were there any fatalities in the 4 Jan 2013 BOEING 737 8FE accident?
No fatalities were recorded in this accident.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 4 Jan 2013 involved a BOEING 737 8FE, operated by VIRGIN AIR INC, at Launceston, Australia.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
The crew did not select the appropriate vertical mode and the aircraft pitched forward to maintain minimum speed.
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