Expert simulated flydubai flight’s 4.9 km descent in 30 seconds — NDTV
A Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai, UAE, to Israel descended 16,000 feet, or about 4.9 km, in approximately 30 seconds. The aircraft was then leveled off and landed safely, NDTV reports.
Descent simulation
Aviation instructor and owner of the ALPA Simulation training center Alberto Paduanelli recreated the episode in a flight simulator for Reuters. In his assessment, passengers could have experienced such a steep descent as an almost vertical drop on a roller coaster.
Paduanelli noted that people who were not wearing seat belts could have risen above their seats due to negative G-forces. Based on the simulation, he also said that the autopilot disengaged before the descent began, after which the aircraft started rapidly gaining speed.
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The instructor stressed that a prolonged high-speed dive can place extreme stress on an aircraft’s structure. At the same time, he said, aircraft are designed and tested to withstand significant aerodynamic loads.
Investigation into the incident
The UAE’s prosecutor general said that the second pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe and called the incident a terrorist attack. According to two Reuters sources familiar with the investigation, the second pilot is named Hammam al-Hammami and is an Omani citizen. UAE authorities had not confirmed his identity at the time of publication, and Reuters was unable to independently obtain comment from him.
flydubai said the circumstances of the incident are being investigated and that the company could not provide further comment. The report states that passengers restrained the second pilot, while the landing was carried out by a reserve crew that was on board. US President Donald Trump praised the Boeing 737 MAX design, saying the aircraft withstood loads greater than those envisaged by its design. Boeing did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
