Galunggung Glider: 5 Fun Facts About The British Airways Boeing 747 That Flew Through An Ash Cloud

On June 24th, 1982, a British Airways Boeing 747 flew through volcanic ash thrown up by Indonesia’s Mount Galunggung, causing all four engines to fail and turning the quadjet into a glider. The aircraft, registration G-BDXH, was operating a flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Auckland, with stops in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, and Melbourne.

On the Kuala Lumpur-Perth leg, the aircraft flew through an ash cloud near Mount Galunggung, about 97.1 NM (180 km) southeast of Java. This resulted in other strange events for the crew, including St Elmo’s Fire. However, after a long struggle, the crew managed to avert disaster and land the jumbo safely in Jakarta. Here are five interesting facts about the Galunggung glider.

1 Record for the longest glide by a non-purpose-built plane

Gliding time: Approximately 13 minutes

The June 1982 incident became known as British Airways Flight 009 or the Jakarta incident. At the time of the nearly fatal incident, there were 263 people onboard, including 248 passengers and 15 crew members. Most passengers had been on the flight from London while the crew boarded the aircraft in Kuala Lumpur.

While flying above the Indian Ocean, south of Java, the crew noticed a rare phenomenon similar to St. Elmo’s Fire on the windscreen and around the aircraft. This occurred around 20:40 Jakarta time (13:40 UTC), and things changed drastically shortly afterward.

• 20:42:
  Engine four fails

• 20:43:
  Engine two flames out

• 20:44:
  Engines one and three fail

While not built for gliding, a Boeing 747-200 can glide forward 8 NM (15 km) for every kilometer it drops without engine thrust. As such, the crew determined they could do so for at least 23 minutes, covering a distance of 91 NM (169 km) from its altitude of 37,000 ft. According to Guinness World Records, the aircraft glided for about 13 minutes, setting a new record for the longest glide in a non-purpose-built aircraft. However, this was later broken by Air Canada Flight 143 in 1983 and Air Transat Flight 263 in 2001.

2 Experiencing something like St Elmo’s Fire

A rare phenomenon for all onboard

St Elmo’s Fire is a weather phenomenon characterized by a gap in electrical discharge. As explained by Britannica, it appears as a faint light on the ends of pointed metal objects or along electric power lines and is often accompanied by a crackling sound. It can also be seen on the windscreen or around an aircraft’s wing tips when flying in dry snow or near thunderstorms. However, the weather radar showed clear skies, so the Flight 009 crew did not expect this.

Some passengers reported seeing blue lights surrounding the aircraft’s engines and wings due to the frictional electrification of the ash particles. The electrical charges also disrupted the aircraft’s communication systems. After losing all engines, the first officer declared the emergency with Jakarta Air Traffic Control, but the message was misunderstood. It was only understood after a nearby Garuda Indonesia flight relayed the message.

Related

What Happens When A Plane Is Hit By Lightning?

When lightning does strike an aircraft, it is often not a cause for concern.

3 The volcanic ash damaged the plane

Such ash contains fine particles of rocks and minerals

As the flight progressed, smoke started to fill the cabin. The investigation revealed that some of the ash had been sucked in by the engines and blown into the cabin. Upon landing and after further examination, the crew observed that the volcanic ash caused substantial damage as it is a very abrasive material. The following parts of the aircraft were affected:

• Windscreen:
  Deeply scratched

• Fuselage:
  A lot of paint was stripped off

• Fuel tanks:
  Fuel was contaminated

The failure of the engines was also a result of the ash cloud. As the ash entered the engines, it melted in the combustion chambers and stuck to crucial parts of the powerplant. As the engines were shut down and the crew descended to a lower flight level, the molten ash solidified and broke off. This allowed smooth airflow through the engines again, prompting a successful engine restart. However, as the crew ascended again, engine two failed and was shut down.

While in Jakarta, engines one, two, and three, together with the windscreen, were replaced. The fuel tanks also had to be cleaned after ash entered through the pressurization ducts. When the jumbo returned to London, engine four was replaced, and extensive work had to be done to have the aircraft return to service.

Related

How Volcanic Ash Created A Weekend Nightmare At Mexico City’s International Airports

The Popocatépetl increased its volcanic activity during the weekend.

4 The Galunggung Gliding Club

Formed in memory of Flight 009

Soon after Flight 009, Captain Eric Henry Moody created the Galunggung Gliding Club in memory of the June 24th incident. All passengers and crew members were automatically admitted into the club. Most of the survivors stayed in touch for several years, thanks to the formation of this club.

The Boeing 747 operating Flight 009 was only three years old at the time of the incident. It was delivered to British Airways in March 1979. Below is some technical info about the aircraft.

According to ATDB.aero, the airline operated it until October 2001, when it was acquired by European Air Charter. G-BDXH was retired in March 2004 and later scrapped. As reported by The Guardian in 2009, parts of the jumbo were turned into tags for an environmental conservation campaign.

5 Awards, a book, and a marriage

Flight 009 made way for several exciting developments

In addition to setting a new world record, the Jakarta incident made way for several exciting developments for the passengers and crew. Firstly, the crew received various accolades and recognition, including the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air for Captain Moody. The crew also received medals from the British Airline Pilots’ Association.

Three years after the flight, one of the passengers, Betty Tootell, wrote a book titled All Four Engines Have Failed. This was part of the captain’s announcement as a catastrophe unfolded in the cockpit. In what was described as “a masterpiece of an understatement,” Captain Moody said to the passengers,

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress.”

Despite its nearly tragic nature, Flight 009 also made way for a beautiful marriage. In 1993, Betty Tootell married James Ferguson, whom she met on the flight. They remained together until 2015 when James passed away. According to Tootell, they never lost their love for flying.

What do you think of this story? Do you remember anything else about the Jakarta incident? Let us know in the comments!