A Virgin Australia pilot accidentally caused a plane to spin 42 degrees, injuring a stewardess, during a service from Brisbane to Melbourne.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the captain accidentally pressed the wrong switch when trying to open the cabin door on September 6, 2023.
The Boeing 737 aircraft was approaching cruising altitude while flying over Ballina, on the New South Wales north coast, when the pilot received a call from a flight attendant requesting access to the flight deck.
After completing safety procedures, the pilot visually identified the flight deck door switch and approached to activate it.
“As they reached for the switch, the captain looked towards the flight deck door and then inadvertently grabbed and activated the rudder trim control,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
The pilot held the switch for eight seconds, resulting in a 42-degree turn to the left as several food carts moved around the cockpit.
A cabin crew member operating a trolley at the rear of the plane suffered a minor injury while attempting to stabilize the trolley.
The ATSB found that the two switches are similar in operation and are located close to each other on the flight deck aisle support panel, between two seats.
A cabin crew member operating a trolley at the rear of the plane suffered a minor injury while trying to stabilize the trolley (pictured, Virgin Australia flight attendants)
The flight deck door switch and rudder trim control are similar in operation and are located near each other on the flight deck aisle support panel, between two seats (pictured) .
“Initially, the autopilot counteracted the left yaw resulting from increasing left rudder trim and induced roll to the left, with opposite and increasing aileron input down the right wing,” the ATSB report states.
“However, after about 5 seconds of full left rudder adjustment, the autopilot reached the limit of its ability to counteract and the airplane began to turn increasingly to the left.”
The first officer attempted to counteract the roll, then disengaged the autopilot and manually applied nearly all of the right aileron input to counteract and correct the roll to the left.
The plane continued to Melbourne without further incident.
Following the incident, Virgin Australia changed its flight deck door entry procedures and reduced the time needed to hold the door unlock switch.
“The new procedure is designed to indicate that the crew member requesting entry is at the door and ready to enter, thereby limiting the time required for the door unlock switch to be held in the unlock position,” states the ATSB report.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority.”
“Our team worked closely with the ATSB to support the investigation and we have made procedural and training changes to prevent this from happening again.”