FlyDubai #FZ981

[fly_tornado]

We are following UNCONFIRMED reports FlyDubai #FZ981 has crashed in Rostov-on-Don.

 

 

 

[Bats]

I'm not very familiar with the graphic, strange looking altitude trace over the final hour though?

 

 

[Bats]

https://www.rt.com/news/336185-boeing-crash-dubai-rostov/

 

Nasty.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Russian officials have confirmed to CNN that FlyDubai #FZ981 has crashed near Rostov-On-Don, Russia.

 

Something odd has happened with that flight, drops from FL400 to < 5000' @17:30

 

 

[Kiwi303]

It looks like it wandered around a lot, burning off fuel?

 

 

[Bats]

Reports say the wx was pretty ordinary and the crash occurred on a second approach to the airport. I'd say hold, then a few orbits, followed by an approach and go around, followed by a second approach following a similar track.

 

 

[Birdseye]

Reports say the wx was pretty ordinary and the crash occurred on a second approach to the airport. I'd say hold, then a few orbits, followed by an approach and go around, followed by a second approach following a similar track.

Not so according to the Flightradar24 trace. Carries out first approach, goes around and does the little wander off to the NE where the two orbits are carried out. Heads S again and enters the holding pattern for quite a while, then carries out the second and final approach.

 

 

[Bats]

Correct - it was a quick n dirty look at the trace and a reaction to the suggestion that they were burning off fuel. Hanging around for that long between approaches indicates a fair degree of determination to get in, especially when others in the area pushed off to alternates. Avherald are quoting officials as saying aircraft clipped the ground during a second go-around and then dropped back to the ground near the upwind end of the runway. Some translation confusion as to whether it was a wing or the tail that struck the ground. From the photos and video doing the rounds it looks as though the aircraft was pretty much reduced to kit form, with small pieces scattered over a large area.

 

 

[aplund]

The holding must have been for more than just weather. If you look like you are holding for more than 1 hour, you go for your alternate, right? Do they have TAF and/or METAR out of Russian airports? What were the actual conditions?

 

 

[aplund]

Well, I know it's probably bad form to reply to oneself, but here is the TAF 12 hours later:

 

URRR 190800Z 1909/2009 35007G13MPS 0500 +SHSN BKN003 BKN020CB TEMPO 1909/1915 1200 SHSN BR BKN002 BKN020CB FM191500 36003G09MPS 3000 -SHSN BR SCT005 BKN020CB BECMG 2005/2007 34007G13MPS

 

Wind doesn't seem to be a factor, but very very little visibility and snow storms and the like.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

pictures out of russia are very sad,

 

 

 

[fly_tornado]

ATC released

 

 

 

[Bennyboy320]

If you look like you are holding for more than 1 hour, you go for your alternate, right?

In a word NO, depends on your fuel, in HKG due to the price of fuel in certain Asian ports we carry return trip fuel or the max possible fuel load to be at MLW at the destination, with only 60 odd pax the 737 was pretty empty, hence being able to hold for a few hours, also the tracking sometimes relates to ATC radar vectoring you or the need to avoid weather.

 

 

[Bats]

As usual the elderly plum has a mix of insightful comment and utter BS. I see the earlier version of "the aircraft struck the runway on go around and lost control" has now been discounted and the CCTV video reinstated as credible (all part and parcel of the confusion following accidents I guess) - the go around appears to have been initiated well above runway height, as was the first one and the aircraft climbed and accelerated more or less as you would expect, before nosing over at a steep angle and diving into the ground near the threshold. The one other comment that struck me, was that alternates out in the wilds of Russia are not as you would expect in Europe/US etc - you could easily end up stuck in a cold plane with no ground support and a plane full of unhappy pax. Thus a 2 hour hold would be considered preferable to the alternates.

 

 

[jetjr]

Latest cctv on news seems to indicate fire before accident

 

 

[Birdseye]

Latest cctv on news seems to indicate fire before accident

I'd suggest that it was the final impact following a catastrophic bounce, but time will tell. Some media idiots have posted "black box" recordings which are actually short exchanges with ATC, but if real they show that the crosswind had dropped off significantly.

 

 

[Guest extralite]

I believe wind there is stated as metres/sec so still very blowy.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I don't know but almost looks like its on fire before it hits the ground

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AlAjy7hg_Y

 

 

[Bats]

"Video removed by user" ?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

too bad it showed a better angle, it was a fast, very steep nose down impact

 

 

[fly_tornado]

This is all I could find

 

 

 

[Bats]

Ah, probably the one I saw from an overseas site earlier. Slowed playback down and in the last frame or two you could see aircraft quite clearly, 60 deg nose down at a guess and rolled well over as well. Didn't look anything like the graphics I've seen of AF447 coming down wings level and belly first.

 

Edit: Yes that looks like a frame from the video I saw.

 

 

[Bats]

Here's a link to the video I saw;

 

 

 

[Downunder]

I don't mean to be too heartless to the deceased, but at least it was quick....

 

 

[willedoo]

https://www.rt.com/news/336821-fatigue-cause-flydubai-pilot/