Existing methods are not fully effective in preventing takeoffs with inadequate thrust, the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) says, citing a 2021 serious incident in which a Boeing 737-800 took off from Kuusamo Airport in Finland with the thrust set at 70 percent instead of the required takeoff setting of 89 percent.
The airplane lifted off with 400 m (1,312 ft) remaining on the 2,500 m- (8,202 ft-) long Runway 12 and climbed slowly until the airplane was 250 ft above ground level, when the flight crew recognized the error and applied the correct power, the AAIB said in its final report on the Dec. 1, 2021, event, released Oct. 6. (The AAIB had been asked by the Safety Investigation Authority of Finland to handle the investigation.)
After departure, the flight continued without incident to London Stansted Airport. None of the six crewmembers — the only people in the airplane — was injured, and the airplane was not damaged in the incident.
The…
