On March 4, while the TUI Boeing 737-800 was leaving for Gran Canaria, problems with the auto-throttle appeared. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is currently looking into the event.
With barely 260 meters (853 feet) of runway left, the aircraft carrying 163 passengers and six crew members was able to take off and land at a height of only 3 meters (10 feet).
Then, at a height of less than 30 meters (100 feet), it flew over the adjacent A38.
The AAIB claims that Boeing knew about the software bug prior to the tragedy.
According to a field investigation report, during takeoff, the auto-throttle disengaged.
Neither pilot noticed that the thrust was incorrectly set, and it was not picked up by standard operating procedures.
11 faults were reported during the trip to Las Palmas, according to an analysis of the software issues that affected the flight; however, no errors were noted throughout the day’s travel to the UK.
Investigations revealed that although the auto-throttle system on Boeing’s 737 Next Generation aircraft has a “long history of nuisance disconnects during take-off mode engagements,” “subsequent functionality checks on the system find no faults,” according to Boeing’s statement to investigators.
