File Image: An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrives at Kaduna airport after Abuja airport was closed down for repairs in Kaduna. (Reuters)
Likethe “Miracle on the Hudson”, Latam Air Boeing 787’s sudden plunge and mysterious rectification within 10 seconds was a miracle in motion.
The aircraft was heading for catastrophe, in what many describe as a Black Swan event, while others believe that massive failure caused the complete screen blackout and the unprecedented terror that followed leaving 50 people with injuries.
Analysts believe a software error in the generator control unit was the rogue element that nearly killed all on board.
The Dreamliner 787-9 turned into a nightmare as it violently shuddered and rapidly began to plunge. Flight LA 800, was saved by a miracle, that will be discussed for decades to come.
It is an aeronautical fact and a disturbing reality that commercial Jet Liners are far from immune to software bugs.
It has been noted that Boeing’s next-generation airlines like the 787 have been struck repeatedly by a software flaw that blanks the airliner’s cockpit screens.
Flight LA 800 could have been a victim of air turbulence, an error in the flight control system, or a monumental failure that lasted 10 seconds, a rare event.
The damage to the roof and the injuries sustained by passengers who were not wearing seatbelts testify to the violent nature of the event.
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and The Flight Data Recorder (FDR), should provide details on the chain of events that saved the flight from an absolute catastrophe.
Boeing faces a formidable task to identify the cause of such a colossal incident, an almost rare aviation anomaly that defies logic and science, a reset event with no precedence in flight profiles.
This event was an earthquake in the sky. In the years ahead, books will be written and documentaries will be produced about 12 seconds that shook the skies.
* Farouk Araie, Johannesburg.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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