Saudia Flight 163

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**Saudia Flight 163**
Summary
Date	August 19, 1980
Type	Cargo fire in flight
Site	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Fatalities	301
Injuries	0
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Lockheed L1011-200 TriStar
Operator	Saudia
Tail number	HZ-AHK
Passengers	287
Crew	14
Survivors	0

Saudia Flight 163 was a scheduled passenger flight of Saudia that landed at Riyadh's International Airport (now the Riyadh Air Base) after a flight from Karachi, Pakistan. On August 19, 1980, 287 passengers and 14 crew were on board the Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar, registered HZ-AHK, which was to fly on to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.

Flight 163 took off at 18:08 GMT to complete its final leg. However, six minutes into the flight, the crew received warnings of smoke in the plane's aft cargo compartment, C3. The next four minutes were spent by the crew trying to confirm the warnings, and by the Flight Engineer attempting to find the smoke alert procedures in the aircraft manuals. The captain decided to return to the airport. The thrust lever for the number 2 engine (center engine) became stuck as the fire burned through the operating cable, and the engine was shut down on final approach.

The flight crew returned to Riyadh International Airport and landed safely. However, the captain of the flight did not order an emergency evacuation of the aircraft immediately after the landing; rather the flight crew were instructed to not evacuate after landing. After touchdown, the aeroplane continued to roll, and stopped on the taxiway 2 minutes 40 seconds after landing. The engines were not shut down for another 3 minutes and 15 seconds, preventing the rescue forces from reaching the aircraft.

One final transmission was received after the plane stopped, indicating that the emergency evacuation was about to begin. With a delay in evacuating the passengers, fire consumed the aircraft on the ground, killing everyone aboard. The fire rapidly progressed forward through the cabin. All of the victims were found in the forward half of the fuelage, but no doors were opened. The cause of the lack of coordination of emergency efforts is not known.

The rescue services were not familiar with the locations of the emergency exits of the aircraft. It took 23 minutes from the engine shutdown until the fuselage was accessed, by which time everybody aboard was dead due to burns or smoke inhalation.

Each member of the flight crew had a history of learning difficulties. The captain had a record of suboptimal decision making through his career. The First Officer failed his training program, was inexperienced with the L-1011, and did not attempt to assist the captain. The Flight Engineer was thought to be dyslexic and was frequently confusing left and right side.

After the event, Saudia revised the emergency procedures and training. Lockheed also removed the insulation from above the rear cargo area, and added glass laminate structural reinforcement.

The burnt out wreckage of HZ-AHK, remained on the tarmac at Riyadh Air Base for many years after the disaster up until the early 1990s.