Incident at Zakynthos International Airport
During the third quarter of 2018, a passenger aircraft departing from Zakynthos International Airport in Greece experienced a take-off incident. The aircraft only became airborne near the end of the runway. The cause was the use of incorrect values in the take-off performance calculations, which resulted in insufficient engine thrust.
Incident at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
On 10 June 2018, a Boeing 737-800 encountered a similar problem at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The flight crew calculated take-off speeds and required engine power assuming a departure from Runway 09 at Intersection N5. However, the actual take-off position was changed to Intersection N4, which shortened the available take-off distance. The performance calculations were not updated to reflect this change. The aircraft was rotated at the originally calculated speed and left the ground just before the end of the runway. The Dutch Safety Board classified this as a serious incident.
Investigation Context
The Dutch Safety Board has investigated multiple similar occurrences. In March 2018, the Board recommended that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) begin developing a warning system to alert pilots when thrust is insufficient, stating that such a system could prevent these incidents. EASA responded that the feasibility of such systems has yet to be proven, and the industry continues to search for technical solutions.