Emirates EK524
EK524 began a takeoff without clearance while another Emirates 777 crossed runway 30R. The crew rejected the takeoff after the tower ordered them to stop.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Causes
Air traffic control in airline accidents
Official investigators identified air traffic control in 7 of the incidents we cover, from 1975 to 2022. Each account explains how it arose in that case. A shared topic does not mean the same cause.
Last updated
| Date | Flight | Aircraft | Location | Fatalities | Report status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 January 2022 | Emirates EK524 | EK524: Boeing 777-31H(ER). EK568: Boeing 777-36N(ER). | Runway 30R, Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates | No fatality total is stated in the summary. | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 28 September 2021 | Etihad ETD2333 | Boeing 787-9 | Runway 31L, Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates | Not specified in the summary report | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 21 July 2021 | flydubai A6-FER and Gulf Air A9C-NC | Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A321-200 | Taxiway Mike, beside holding point Mike 10 Alpha, Dubai International Airport | Unspecified in the published summary | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 6 June 2020 | Etihad Flight EY9878 | Boeing B787-10 | Final approach to runway 31L, Abu Dhabi International Airport | 0 aboard; 0 on the ground | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 24 September 2015 | Shaheen Air AP-BJR | Boeing 737-400 | Taxiway Bravo, Sharjah International Airport, UAE | 0 | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 25 January 1990 | Avianca Flight 52 | Boeing 707-321B | Cove Neck, Long Island, New York, United States | 73 aboard; none on the ground | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 24 June 1975 | Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 | Boeing 727-225 | Approach to runway 22L and Rockaway Boulevard, Jamaica, New York | 113 eventual deaths | LEVEL 3 Final report |
Etihad ETD2333
A6-BLL rejected takeoff at 127 knots after repeated cancellation calls used an incorrect callsign during runway calibration operations at Abu Dhabi.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
flydubai A6-FER and Gulf Air A9C-NC
At Dubai, a taxiing flydubai Boeing 737 struck the tail of a Gulf Air A321 holding short of the runway. AAIS identified clearance, positioning and coordination failures.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Etihad Flight EY9878
An Etihad 787 flew below the approach profile at Abu Dhabi with an incorrect altimeter setting. Four red PAPI lights prompted a go-around near 200 feet.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Shaheen Air AP-BJR
A Shaheen Air Boeing 737-400 took off from taxiway Bravo at Sharjah with 156 people aboard. The crew learned of the error five days later.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Avianca Flight 52
After three holds and a missed approach to New York JFK, Avianca 52 exhausted its fuel and crashed at Cove Neck. Seventy-three of the 158 people aboard died.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Eastern Air Lines Flight 66
Thunderstorm winds drove an Eastern 727 below the glideslope into the approach light towers at Kennedy Airport.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report