Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 runway excursion in Tanzania

December 19, 2013

Incident: Ethiopian B763 at Arusha on Dec 18th 2013, fuel emergency, landing on short runway and runway excursion

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration ET-AQW performing flight ET-815 from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), could not land in Kilimanjaro due to a disabled light aircraft on the runway and entered a holding. The crew subsequently declared emergency due to low fuel and diverted to Arusha for a safe landing on runway 27 (length 1620 meters/5300 feet) at 13:15L (10:15Z). At the end of the runway the aircraft turned left as if attempting to turn around for backtracking and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. No injuries occurred, the aircraft received no visible damage.

The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted because a Cessna was disabled on the runway of Kilimanjaro, however, did not explain why the aircraft diverted to Arusha (27nm from Kilimanjaro Airport) with too short a runway rather than diverting to Mombasa (Kenya, 154nm from Kilimanjaro) or Nairobi (Kenya, 127nm from Kilimanjaro) featuring suitable runways.

An investigation has been opened into the occurrence.

Ground witnesses report, that the crew managed to bring the aircraft to a full stop just before the end of the runway, but then attempted to maneouver the aircraft to backtrack the runway which is when they went off paved surface.

A listener on frequency reported the aircraft was sent into a holding at Kilimanjaro NDB (KB, 293kHz) southwest of Kilimanjaro Airport and south of Arusha Airport. Arusha’s runway was visible from the holding with the same orientation as Kilimanjaro’s runway (09/27 at 3600 meters length). The crew thus obviously believing to land at Kilimanjaro Airport touched down at Arusha.

Metars Kilimanjaro:
HTKJ 181100Z 09010KT 9999 FEW032CB SCT033 31/17 Q1012 NOSIG
HTKJ 181000Z 09012KT 9999 FEW030CB SCT031 31/17 Q1012 NOSIG
HTKJ 180900Z 09010KT 9999 FEW028SC SCT280 30/18 Q1013 NOSIG

Metars Arusha:
HTAR 181100Z 33010KT 9999 FEW026 FEW027CB 26/15 Q1016
HTAR 181000Z 33015KT 9999 FEW026CB BKN026 26/15 Q1017
HTAR 180900Z 33010KT 9999 FEW026CB SCT026 26/15 Q1018

Metars Nairobi:
HKJK 181200Z 04010KT 9999 FEW027CB BKN028 25/15 Q1017 NOSIG
HKJK 181130Z 07010KT 9999 BKN027 25/14 Q1017 NOSIG
HKJK 181100Z 06012KT 9999 BKN027 24/14 Q1018 NOSIG
HKJK 181030Z 06011KT 9999 BKN027 25/15 Q1018 NOSIG
HKJK 181000Z 05011KT 9999 BKN027 25/14 Q1019 NOSIG
HKJK 180930Z 06010KT 9999 SCT026 24/14 Q1019 NOSIG
HKJK 180900Z 02010KT 9999 SCT026 23/13 Q1020 NOSIG

Metars Mombasa:
HKMO 181300Z 06008KT 9999 FEW027 31/24 Q1007 NOSIG
HKMO 181200Z 07012KT 9999 SCT027 31/24 Q1007 NOSIG
HKMO 181100Z 35005KT 9999 SCT027 33/21 Q1008 NOSIG
HKMO 181000Z 33015KT 9999 FEW025CB BKN026TCU 32/23 Q1010 NOSIG
HKMO 180900Z 34010KT 9999 FEW025CB BKN026TCU 31/23 Q1011 NOSIG