Faulty alimeter blamed for Turkish Airlines crash
AMSTERDAM – A malfunctioning altimeter caused the autopilot system on the Turkish Airlines 737-800 that crashed last week on approach to Amsterdam to reduce power prematurely, and by the time the pilots reacted it was “too late to recover the flight,” said Dutch Safety Board chairman Pieter van Vollenhoven.
ATW Online reports DSB’s initial findings provided a strikingly clear explanation of the crash’s likely cause less than a week after the Feb. 25 accident that killed nine and led Boeing to issue a statement warning 737NG pilots to “carefully monitor
primary flight instruments during critical phases of flight.”
Vollenhoven explained that the aircraft’s “automatic throttle system. . . received incorrect information because of a malfunction in the left radio altimeter”.
The cockpit voice and flight data recorders show that at 1,950 ft. the “left radio altimeter suddenly indicated a change in altitude, from 1,950 ft. to -8 ft., and passed this on to the automatic pilot. It seems that the automatic system, with its engines at reduced power, assumed it was in the final stages of the flight.
“As a result, the aircraft lost speed. Initially, the crew did not react to the issues at hand.”
The crew, which included a captain, a first officer on a training flight and a third pilot in the cockpit, “were notified that the left radio altimeter was not working correctly” by a “landing gear must go down” warning signal, Vollenhoven said, adding that “provisional data indicates that this signal was not regarded [by the crew] to be a problem.”
But the autopilot’s deceleration “reduced [the 737-800] to minimum flying speed,” setting off an alarm. The crew “immediately” attempted to apply full power, he said.
“However, this was too late to recover the flight, the aircraft was too low and, consequently, the [aircraft] crashed 1 km. short of the runway.”
DSB issued a warning to Boeing regarding 737-800 altimeters, advising the manufacturer to amend its manual to say that autopilot should be switched off if an altimeter malfunctions during flight.
Boeing, which confirmed that three passengers who died in the accident were company employees, said it would “look closely” at the recommendation.
Vollenhoven noted that the aircraft’s tail hit the ground first, followed by the undercarriage, and its forward speed “was about 175 km. per hr. upon impact. An aircraft of this weight should normally have a speed of 260 km. per hr. for landing.”
The three pilots died in the crash and 28 surviving passengers remain hospitalized.
“The board’s investigation will now focus fully on the workings of the radio altimeters and the connection to the automatic throttle,” Vollenhoven said.
He conceded in a press conference that DSB was issuing highly detailed findings at an early stage in the investigation.
“The reason to go public now. . .is to warn Boeing and all users of this plane type that vigilance is required with regards to the altimeter,” he said.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt