This is the second in a series on landmark events in aviation since Flight Safety Foundation began in 1945.
An aircraft descends through darkness in mist and low clouds. The captain, perhaps because he misreads a chart, perhaps because he gets distracted, loses situational awareness. The first officer, busy with radio calls, does not catch the navigational error. In the cabin behind them, 150 passengers drowse, oblivious to danger. There is nothing wrong with the aircraft, and it remains under the captain’s full control. But aircraft is about to descend into a mountain.
An aural warning sounds in the flight deck: “TERRAIN, TERRAIN.”
The captain’s simulator training kicks in. “Terrain, max thrust,” he calls. The captain punches off the autopilot, shoves the thrust levers, and pitches up 20 degrees. A terrain display appears automatically on his multifunction display (MFD), showing a ridge ahead in red. The first officer calls out altitudes…
