Approximately two hours after takeoff, a series of severe incidents forced Flydubai's Boeing 737 MAX into a situation where the aircraft was subjected to extremely high speeds and loads, far exceeding its design limits.
But that didn't happen. The two pilots who took over the cockpit were still able to maintain the flight for over an hour and bring the nearly four-year-old plane to a safe landing, despite damage to a section of the tail.
Carrying 174 passengers and crew members, Flight 1073 departed from the gate at Dubai Airport at 7:03 a.m. local time. A few minutes later, the plane took off and began climbing.
92 seconds of life and death
The analysis below of the speed, angle of flight, and G-force acting on the Boeing 737 MAX is based on second-by-second satellite tracking data from Flightradar24. Investigators will need to rely on data from the black box to determine additional contributing factors, including wind speed and outside temperature.
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At approximately 9:21 a.m. (Dubai time), while the plane was at an altitude of about 34,000 feet (10,400 m), the co-pilot attacked the captain. The nose of the plane was pushed down at a maximum angle of 39 degrees, causing the aircraft to rapidly accelerate, according to the WSJ .
According to preliminary flight data, in 92 seconds the aircraft lost 17,400 feet (5,300 m) of altitude, while simultaneously reaching a top speed close to the speed of sound. The 39-degree pitch was many times greater than the approximately 3 degrees typically seen during a normal descent.
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The estimated speed reached Mach 0.96, although this figure does not take into account factors such as air density and wind speed. This is significantly higher than the Boeing 737 MAX's maximum operating limit of Mach 0.82.
The 737 MAX was then subjected to immense stress. The high speed and force caused the fuselage to vibrate violently, creating shock waves along the wings and transmitting vibrations to the components responsible for flight control and speed regulation.
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As the passengers scrambled toward the cockpit, someone pulled the control stick to raise the nose of the plane, halting its descent. In 43 seconds, the speed dropped from approximately 600 knots (1,111 km/h) to 390 knots (722 km/h).
This maneuver subjected the aircraft's fuselage to an estimated force of 3 G, equivalent to the force a spacecraft might experience during launch. This figure also exceeds the Boeing 737 MAX's operational limit of 2.5 G.
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After the co-pilot was subdued and the captain was injured, the two pilots who were in the passenger cabin took over the cockpit. Preliminary flight data indicated that by approximately 9:24 AM, they had brought the aircraft back under control.
However, the 737 MAX was damaged in the process. A section of the rudder, the part that helps the aircraft steer from side to side, broke off from the tail.
The two new pilots continued to fly the damaged aircraft for over an hour. The flight was anything but stable, with the plane's altitude fluctuating around 500 feet as they headed toward Tabuk Airport.
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The sudden change in speed and altitude of the Boeing 737 during the Flydubai incident. Graphic: Reuters. |
At approximately 10:45 AM, the pilots safely landed flight 1073 at Tabuk Airport, concluding a journey that lasted about 3 hours and 40 minutes.
During the final landing phase, the aircraft's speed and maneuverability appear unaffected by the structural stresses acting on the glide and elevation controls—the control surfaces responsible for tilting the aircraft and raising and lowering the nose.
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Crossing the limits but still landing safely.
Currently, the Boeing 737 MAX is still parked at Tabuk Airport and is scheduled to undergo a comprehensive inspection to assess whether the extreme speed and G-forces the aircraft experienced caused irreparable damage.
“I’m not sure if it can be used again,” said Tony Farina, an aerodynamics expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University who has worked on flight projects with NASA and the U.S. Air Force. “At the very least, the aircraft will need a thorough and comprehensive inspection.”
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A Flydubai aircraft landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia with damage to its vertical flap at the tail. Photo: Times of Israel. |
For the Boeing 737 MAX, the fact that the aircraft retained its structural integrity after the near-disaster incident on September 30th is a remarkable achievement. This aircraft type had been under special scrutiny following two accidents in 2018 and 2019. A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment on the incident.
One of the first parties to praise the aircraft's structural durability was the White House.
"Congratulations to the AMAZING Boeing company for producing an aircraft, the 737 Max, that can withstand G-forces and impact forces far beyond what it was designed for," President Donald Trump wrote on social media shortly after the incident.
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Position of the wing flaps on a Boeing 737 Max. Graphic: SMH. |
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, efforts to enhance cockpit security focused primarily on preventing external threats from entering.
However, subsequent incidents, including the 2015 Germanwings pilot's deliberate crash and the Flydubai incident, suggest the aviation industry may face a more difficult challenge: What happens when the threat originates from the cockpit itself?
"Today's passenger planes are masterpieces of aviation engineering, but they won't be able to save the plane if a competent person in the cockpit orders it to dive and the other can't stop it in time," said Joel Sercel, aerospace engineer and CEO of the space company TransAstra.
Source: https://lifestyle.zingnews.vn/boeing-737-max-song-sot-the-nao-sau-cu-bo-nhao-gan-toc-do-am-thanh-post1687291.html
