Seconds from disaster: How Wizz Air flight 801 from Budapest almost crashed into a mountain!

On the 10th of November 2016, Wizz Air flight 801 suffered a near fatal accident near Nis airport in Serbia. The flight was a so-called service flight from Budapest, carrying only crew and flight attendants. It was the first time the captain and first officer had flown to this airport, which was a challenge in itself.

In the fateful moments, a lack of communication between the two pilots, faulty flight system settings and a misunderstanding of the situation caused the aircraft to descend to a dangerously low altitude, directly towards a mountain almost 1,000 metres high.

During the approach process, air traffic control instructed the pilots to execute a different landing procedure to the one originally programmed. During this reprogramming, the flight computer added an unwanted 360-degree turn to the route, which the crew ignored. The first officer then mistakenly set the descent altitude to 1000 feet (305 metres), when the mountain in their path was 3100 feet (945 metres) high. The captain then realised the danger, but it was too late, the proximity alarm loudly warned them, “Terrain ahead! Pull up!”

The problem of critical altitude and overshoot

According to Blikk, both pilots reacted immediately, but inappropriately. They tried to avoid a collision by simultaneously pulling back on the stick rudders, but were slow to apply the maximum thrust required in such a situation. As a result, the aircraft began to climb steeply, but its speed was drastically reduced, which could have resulted in a rollover. Fortunately, the automatic flight control system detected the dangerously low speed and immediately switched the engines to maximum power, preventing a catastrophe.

The pilots did not reduce power in time, so instead of the required 4,300 feet (1310 metres), they climbed to over 7,000 feet (2134 metres), which was significantly off the flight plan. Although they eventually landed safely at Nis airport, this manoeuvre brought the aircraft closer than ever to a catastrophic accident.

Wizz Air’s response and lessons from the investigation

Wizz Air’s internal investigation revealed that the pilots made a number of serious errors: they did not properly inform each other about the control of the aircraft, used incorrect altitude settings and did not communicate clearly in critical situations. The captain had not been able to rest properly the day before, while the first officer had not flown for more than 10 days, factors that may have contributed to the errors.

In an official statement, Wizz Air indicated that safety was a top priority and immediately after the incident the lessons learned were incorporated into pilot training. The staff concerned have received additional training, including at simulation centres in Budapest and Rome. Wizz Air has also shared the lessons learned from the incident with all its pilots to ensure that a similar error does not occur in the future.

The incident of flight 801 is a clear example of the consequences of miscommunication and poor decision making on an aircraft. Without the intervention of luck and automation, the incident could have ended in tragedy. The events highlight the key role of continuous training and safety procedures for airlines in avoiding accidents.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com