DHL shootdown incident in Baghdad
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 Shortly after missile hit. |
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 November 2003 |
| Type | Missile attack, loss of flight controls |
| Site | Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A300B4-203F |
| Operator | European Air Transport for DHL |
| Tail number | OO-DLL |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Survivors | 3 (all) |
The DHL shootdown incident in Baghdad occurred on 22 November 2003, aboard an Airbus A300B4-203F cargo plane, registered OO-DLL, operating on behalf of DHL. The aircraft was hit by a missile, which resulted in the loss of its hydraulic systems. It was the first time an aircraft in this condition was landed safely.
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[edit] Crew
The aircraft took off from Baghdad International Airport to Bahrain International Airport at 06:30 UTC with a crew of three: two Belgians (Captain Eric Genotte and co-pilot Steve Michielsen) and a Scotsman (engineer Mario Rafoil). All were experienced pilots.
[edit] Moments following the strike
At around 9000 feet (2743 metres), a SA-14 ground-to-air missile, fired by an unknown group, struck the Airbus on the tip of its left wing. The strike ruptured fuel tanks on the left wing, and a gradual fuel leak began. Also, the missile caused a 5-metre long crack in the wing's rear spar, and punctured all three hydraulic lines in the wing. As the hydraulic fluid bled away, and the crew tried to figure out what to do next, the plane started to oscillate up and down in a phugoid cycle, which is characteristic of a hydraulic failure. Captain Gennotte, remembering a broadcast about the United Airlines Flight 232 disaster in the USA in 1989, managed to flatten out the plane's gyrations by use of the throttles. Then, he put the plane into a turn to line up for their approach to Baghdad International Airport.
As they circled the area, flight engineer Mario Rafoil executed a gravity drop to extend the landing gear (landing gear was normally operated via hydraulic power). Although the undercarriage lowered successfully, it altered the entire balance of the aircraft, which began to oscillate upwards. Horrified, the captain reduced power to both engines to pitch the nose down. Coming close to stall speed, he just managed to level the flight out. With the landing gear extended, the Airbus became easier to control.
[edit] Second approach
On their approach to Runway 33/R, it became clear that they were too high to attempt a descent. Instead, they would have to turn, and come back on a long final to Runway 33/L instead. After nearly 20 kilometres (12 miles), the crew felt satisfied they could come round. Applying more power to the left engine to bank right, they swung round, and managed to line up with Runway 33/L. However, similarly to UA232, at 400 feet (120 metres), crosswinds disturbed the plane's flight path. The plane touched down on the runway, veered off to the left, and came to a stop in the sand at the side of the runway.
[edit] Criticisms and aftermath
The incident became recognized because it was the first and only time ever that a crew had managed to land a transport aircraft safely without hydraulics. The crew has been given some of the highest awards the aviation community had to offer.[citation needed] For Mario Rafoil, the flight engineer, it was a good point on which to retire.
DHL also came under criticism for ordering crew members into Iraq without any additional danger pay.
The Airbus was repaired and offered for sale in 2005.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Sources and references
- Air Crash Investigation, Season 3, Episode 2: Attack Over Baghdad
