KLM Flight 867
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 15, 1989 |
| Type | Stalling of all engines due to blockage by volcanic ash |
| Site | Redoubt Volcano, Anchorage, Alaska |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-400 |
| Operator | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
| Tail number | PH-BFC |
| Flight origin | Amsterdam Schiphol Airport |
| Destination | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport |
On December 15, 1989 KLM Flight 867 from Amsterdam was descending into Anchorage International Airport when the Boeing 747-400 flew though a thick cloud of volcanic ash from Mt. Redoubt. All four engines stalled and the standby electrical system failed. After descending more than 14,000 feet, Captain Karl van der Elst and crew were finally able to restart the engines and safely land the plane. In this case the ash caused more than $80 million in damage to the plane, but fortunately no lives were lost.
In a nearly identical incident in 1982, British Airways Flight 9 from London Heathrow to Auckland, flew into a cloud of volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Galunggung, causing all four engines to fail due to compressor stall. The aircraft was diverted to Jakarta, and was able to glide far enough to exit the ash cloud and restart its engines and land safely.
