Aircraft safety: Flybe Pilot selecting wrong autopilot setting caused plane to plummet 500ft

An inquiry has heard how a Flybe plane dropped 500ft in 18 seconds shortly after take-off from Belfast.

The plane, bound for Glasgow, had 44 passengers on board when it ‘pitched nose down’ towards the ground on 11 January.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch inquiry found that the incorrect autopilot setting had been selected. The Pilot corrected the error at 928ft when the aircraft’s warning system alerted him.

According to the report, the plane was at 1,350ft when the pilot activated the autopilot. It climbed to 1,500ft and then ‘descended rapidly’ as the autopilot target altitude had been set to 0ft.

The report stated that the 60-year-old pilot ‘responded almost immediately’ to cockpit alarms and disconnected the autopilot.

The flight continued as planned to Glasgow and landed without further incident.

Flybe said in a statement that it: “maintains a rigorous approach to ensuring the very highest flying standards are maintained”.

“Flybe implemented remedial actions quickly in response to the incident and our training and procedures have been amended to minimise the risk of a reoccurrence,” it said.

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