Page 30 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016 Online Magazine

FEATuRE FLIGHT SAFETY

Upset Condition

A number of factors contributed to the loss of AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501
By Atul Chandra

INDONESIA’S NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION recovered from the crash site was examined
Safety Committee (KNKT) in its accident by the French BEA at an Airbus facility
report on the crash of AirAsia Indonesia in France and the electronic cards were
Flight QZ8501 that took place on 28th found to have cracked soldering on both A
December, 2014, concluded that failure and B channels. The report concluded that
of the Rudder Travel Limiter Unit (RTLU) this could have led to a TLU failure and
due to mechanical defects and faulty also found that despite 23 RTLU problems
crew action following an ‘Airplane Upset’ being reported from January 2014 to 27
situation were the main contributory December 2014, the part was never opened
factors for the crash and subsequent loss for examination.
of all lives onboard Flight QZ8501. The The Air Asia Airbus A320 jetliner was
report by the Komite Nasional Keselamatan on a flight from Juanda Airport, Surabaya,
AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 Transportasi (KNKT), ruled out weather Indonesia to Changi Airport, Singapore
was at an Angle of Attack (AOA) conditions as a contributory cause for the and all 162 souls (156 passengers and six
that was almost constant at crash. The air crash investigation conducted crew) onboard the flight were lost, when
approximately 40° up after flight by KNKT included representatives from the the jetliner crashed into the sea. The Pilot
control reverted to Alternate Law
resulted in the autopilot and auto- Australian ATSB, French BEA, Singapore Flying (PF), during the flight was the Second
thrust getting disengaged AAIB and MOT Malaysia. The aircraft RTLU in Command (SIC) who had 1,367 hours on

30 ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/AAA