Stuck in ‘wake’ turbulence, plane plunges 10,000ft

dubai — Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation is investigating an incident in which an Abu Dhabi-bound private plane went into an uncontrolled descent after passing underneath an Emirates A380 bound for Sydney.

The incident – which was first reported by The Aviation Herald – took place on January 7 when a Canadaair Challenger 604 with nine people on board passed approximately 1,000 feet underneath the Emirates A 380 while over the Arabian Sea, causing the crew to lose control of the plane due to ‘wake turbulence’, sending it into an uncontrolled 10,000 feet descent. Once the aircraft was brought under control, the pilots diverted to Muscat. According to the report, a number of passengers were taken to the hospital, including one with serious injuries.

In a statement sent to Khaleej Times, Emirates noted that an investigation into the incident is currently taking place.

“Safety is our number one priority and all of Emirates’ flight operations are carefully managed within all applicable regulations and protocols,” the statement said. “The incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities, and we refer you to them for any comment on this matter.”

A German news outlet, Deutsche Welle, reported that the findings of the investigation “will be published in an upcoming report”. The firm that operates the aircraft – MHS – declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation.

A draft issue of a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety information bulletin obtained by The Aviation Herald notes that wake turbulence encounters “have become more frequent in recent years.”