A TUI Airways Boeing 737-800, registered G-FDZS, operating flight BY-6114 from Bristol, United Kingdom, to Las Palmas, Spain, experienced a malfunction with its automatic throttle (A/T) during takeoff. The aircraft was carrying 163 passengers and 6 crew members.
As the aircraft commenced its takeoff roll from runway 09 at Bristol Airport, the A/T disengaged when TOGA mode was selected. The crew manually set the thrust to 84.5% N1 (instead of the required 92.8% N1) and continued the takeoff. The aircraft became airborne approximately 260 meters before the end of the runway, clearing the runway end at an altitude of 10 feet. The crew continued the flight to Las Palmas, but each time they attempted to re-engage the automatic thrust, it disconnected again. The aircraft landed safely in Las Palmas.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued a special bulletin before reaching the final conclusions of their analysis. According to the bulletin, the aircraft took off with significantly less thrust than required. The rotation occurred just 260 meters before the runway’s end, and the aircraft crossed the runway threshold at an altitude of about 10 feet. When TOGA was selected, the A/T disconnected, leading the crew to manually set the thrust to 84.5% N1, though 92.8% N1 was required.
Despite the existence of a standard operating procedure (SOP) for monitoring thrust settings during takeoff, the crew did not realize the thrust was improperly set until after takeoff, despite noticing their proximity to the end of the runway.
The issue was identified as stemming from a malfunction in the Actuator Control Module (ACM) associated with engine 1’s throttle lever. The disconnection of the A/T upon pressing the TOGA switch is a known problem in older ACM models installed on this aircraft type. The manufacturer issued a Fleet Team Summary to operators, recommending awareness of the issue and suggesting the replacement of older ACMs with a newer model.
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