What happened
On 3 August 2016, an Emirates Boeing 777-31H, registered as A6-EMW, was operating flight UAE521 from Trivandrum International Airport to Dubai International Airport. The flight was carrying 282 passengers, 2 flight crew, and 16 cabin crew. During the approach to runway 12L, the pilot flying attempted a manual landing despite an active ATIS warning for moderate windshear. Due to the presence of thermals, the commander decided to execute a go-around after the aircraft failed to reach the intended touchdown zone.
During the transition, the crew initiated the standard missed approach procedure by engaging the TO/GA switches. However, because the aircraft had briefly made contact with the runway for approximately six seconds, the TO/GA switches were inhibited, leaving the autothrottle at idle. The crew did not realize the thrust levers had not advanced. As the aircraft climbed to 85 feet, the lack of engine thrust caused the airspeed to decay, leading to a loss of altitude. The pilot eventually recognized the situation and initiated a windshear escape maneuver, but the aircraft struck the runway surface.
Following the impact, the aircraft slid for roughly 800 meters along the runway. While the fuselage remained largely intact, the number 2 engine and pylon assembly separated from the airframe. During the evacuation, some escape slides became inoperable, and several passengers attempted to exit with carry-on luggage. Approximately nine minutes after the aircraft stopped, an explosion occurred in the center wing tank, causing significant damage to the right wing. During this event, a firefighter was fatally struck by falling debris.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the failure to advance thrust levers during the go-around.
- The crew was unaware that the aircraft had touched the runway, which prevented the autothrottle from responding to the TO/GA command.
- The total number of fatalities was 1, involving a ground responder.
- The incident resulted in 28 injuries, consisting of 21 passengers, 1 flight crewmember, and 6 cabin crew members with minor injuries, and 4 cabin crew members with serious injuries.