TERROR AT 4,000 FEET: Hero pilots of Air France 777 from JFK to Paris heard yelling 'STOP, STOP' before averting crash
A flight became 'unresponsive' to the pilots' directions and drifted off course, forcing an Air France flight to abort a landing attempt in Paris. The Boeing 777 airplane was flying from JFK Airport in New York to Charles de Gaulle Airport when the technical issue occurred, causing the jet to divert from its landing path. One pilot can be heard saying "stop, stop" as alarm noises are heard in the background in air traffic control audio uploaded by Air Live. He assured the tower he'd call them back, and another jet was directed to immediately stop approaching the runway while the AF11 flight was having problems.
When the pilot reconnected with air traffic control, he stated that the landing had been aborted and that they were performing a 'go-around' to try again. According to Daily Mail, flight monitoring data suggests the jet flew as low as 1,100 feet before drawing back up to 4,000 feet for a second try. The pilot was overheard saying to the tower, “We went around following an issue with commands. The airplane didn’t respond. We are ready to resume the final approach with radar guidance. Give us time to manage the situation, then guide us downwind.”
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The plane landed safely at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday (April 5), and Air France described the event as a 'technical issue.' The company said in a statement, “Air France confirms that the crew of flight AF011 from New York JFK to Paris-CDG aborted their landing sequence and performed a go-around due to a technical incident during the approach.” “The crew mastered the situation and landed the aircraft normally after a second approach. Air France understands and regrets the discomfort felt by customers. The go-around is defined by the authorities, aircraft manufacturers, and Air France as a normal procedure. The crews are trained and regularly instructed in these procedures, which are used by all airlines to guarantee the safety of flights and passengers, which is an absolute necessity for Air France,” the statement added.
Last year as well a United Airlines Boeing 777 had an uncontained engine failure shortly after departing Denver on its way to Honolulu, and the debris landed in a one-mile-long region near Broomfield, Colorado. The event did not result in any injuries. Nonetheless, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the plane immediately after to work on additional safety regulations. United Airlines along with Nippon Airways, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and Jin Air were all affected by the grounding. The FAA said last month that three safety guidelines had been approved, allowing the Boeing 777 with Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines to resume operation. According to Reuters, the new orders call for more thorough inspections and changes before Boeing 777 planes powered by P&W 4000 engines may resume flights.