The autopilot of a plane carrying 94 people veered towards mountainous terrain, as the distracted pilots “inadvertently omitted” to retract the landing gear. The Alliance Airlines Embraer ERJ 190 took off at night from Cairns in Queensland, Australia, bound for Brisbane in July last year, a new report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed Friday. During the climb, the captain warned the plane’s rate of ascent was slow. This, along with a directive that caused the autopilot to steer right towards the mountainous terrain, meant the pilots were “distracted in the take-off sequence” and left the landing gear down. When the first officer made an initial left turn and engaged the autopilot, “the aircraft started a right turn toward terrain.” The captain noticed and told the first officer to correct, then realized the landing gear was still down and “reflexively” retracted it despite the plane traveling “17 [knots] above the maximum landing gear retraction speed.” The now-18-year-old plane continued “without further incident,” and landed undamaged. ATSB Director of Transport Safety, Stuart Macleod, said the crew members “became focused on the aircraft’s flight path.” “These distractions increased the flight crew’s workload and delayed their [recognizing] the landing gear was still extended.”
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