By Kana Inagaki
- Bloomberg News
- All Nippon Airways Co. airplanes at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
In a chilling reminder of how a simple human error can override the
highest of high technology, an investigation has shown that All Nippon
Airways Co. narrowly escaped a catastrophe earlier this month when its
plane almost flipped over after a co-pilot hit the wrong button while
trying to open the cockpit door for the plane’s captain, returning from
the restroom.
The revelation came at an awkward time for the Japanese carrier, just
hours after the first of the new-generation Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner
jets on which it has built its future strategy finally landed in Tokyo
on Wednesday, more than three years behind schedule.
The celebratory mood was quickly over as Shin Nagase, a senior
executive vice president at ANA, apologized and bowed deeply in front of
TV cameras at a news conference to apologize for the trouble caused by
the incident, which took place Sept. 6.
According to the Japan Transport Safety Board, two flight attendants
were slightly hurt when the Boeing 737-700, with 117 people aboard,
tipped more than 130 degrees to the left at one point and dived about
1,900 meters in 30 seconds during a flight from Naha on the southern
island of Okinawa to Tokyo. Two flight attendants were slightly injured
and six passengers became airsick or reported neck pains. (Watch a video of the mishap compiled via computer images on the transportation ministry’s site here).
ANA said a 38-year-old co-pilot likely hit the rudder trim controls
by mistake instead of pushing the door unlock button to let the captain
in after he stepped out of the cockpit to go to the restroom.
Computer graphic images compiled by the safety board showed the plane turning almost upside down,
but many passengers on board apparently did not realize the gravity of
the situation, since it was already dark outside when the incident
occurred at around 10:50 pm.
Investigators said the co-pilot was quite experienced, with more than
35,000 total hours of flight time. Nonetheless, according to
investigators, the slip-up cause a roll and descent so violent that the
jet exceeded certain maximum allowable speeds and also was subjected
to stresses beyond its acceleration limits.