Jet Airways Flight 555
Jet Airways Flight 555, a Boeing 737-800 from Doha to Cochin, failed to land in fog at Cochin three times on 18 August 2015 and diverted to Trivandrum, where visibility was just as poor. After four more approaches and a Mayday for low fuel, it landed on the seventh attempt with 349 kg of fuel left, and all 150 people on board were unhurt.
The sequence of events
All times local
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05:28
First go-around at Cochin
The crew flew the ILS to runway 27 in haze but could not see the runway at the 320 ft decision altitude and went around at 256 ft. They had 4,699 kg of fuel, well above the 3,306 kg needed to divert to Bangalore.
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05:47
Second go-around
Another aircraft ahead had also gone around. The second approach ended the same way, and the captain then made Trivandrum the alternate instead of Bangalore, which allowed more time holding over Cochin.
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06:20
Third go-around, diversion to Trivandrum
After a third failed approach the crew turned for Trivandrum with 2,644 kg, just 30 kg above the minimum diversion fuel for that airport. Trivandrum then reported 1,500 m visibility, below the minimum for its VOR approach.
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06:49
Fourth go-around and Mayday
The VOR approach to runway 14 at Trivandrum failed. About 40 seconds later, with fuel below 1,300 kg, the crew declared "Mayday due fuel".
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06:56 and 07:02
Two visual circuits fail
Both times the pilots saw the runway too late and too far out of position to land. After the sixth go-around, 662 kg of fuel remained.
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07:09
Landing on runway 32
The captain turned back for the opposite runway at about 700 ft. The first officer inhibited the terrain warnings, the approach continued through ground proximity and bank angle alerts, and the 737 landed with 349 kg of fuel.
Key facts
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-800 |
|---|---|
| Aircraft variant | Boeing 737-800, registration VT-JFA |
| Flight number | 555 |
| People who died | 0 |
| People on board | 150 |
| Were there survivors? | Yes |
| Phase of flight | Approach |
Official finding · Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India (AAIB)
with no company policy limiting approaches in bad weather or governing a change of alternate in flight, the crew made seven approaches at Cochin and Trivandrum, including three visual approaches below minima and below circuit altitude, ignored several EGPWS warnings and chose an alternate that was probably not the best decision.
Questions and answers
Why did Jet Airways Flight 555 divert from Cochin?
Low cloud and haze hid the runway at Cochin. The crew went around three times at the ILS decision altitude, then diverted to Trivandrum, which they had chosen as the alternate during the holding.
Why couldn't the 737 just land automatically?
Cochin's ILS guided aircraft only down to 320 ft, not all the way to the runway as an autoland needs. Trivandrum had no ILS at all, only a less precise VOR approach that needed even better visibility.
How much fuel was left when Flight 555 landed?
The AAIB recorded 349 kg after landing, against a final reserve of about 1,300 kg that is meant to be kept intact. Some press reports gave 270 kg; the report's figure is 349 kg.
Was anyone hurt?
No. All 142 passengers and 8 crew were unhurt and the aircraft was not damaged.
What changed after the investigation?
The AAIB recommended that Jet Airways set a limit on approaches in bad weather, define how crews may change their alternate in flight and add low-fuel decision-making to simulator training. The captain was demoted for a period.
Sources: The facts and written text on this page come from the 1 video on this page, by Green Dot Aviation.
