hafizhadiansyah :
While British Airways Flight 009 was flying south of Java, Mount Galunggung erupted, spewing a volcanic cloud; the aircraft flew directly into this cloud of volcanic ash. The crew observed blue flashes on the windshield (resembling St. Elmo's fire), and smoke—smelling of sulfur—began to seep into the cabin, gradually thickening. The engines took on an unusual bright blue glow due to the atmospheric conditions; engine number 4 vibrated and suffered a flameout, prompting the crew to shut it down, followed by the other three engines. The Boeing 747-200 has a glide ratio of 15:1, meaning it can glide 15 kilometers for every kilometer of altitude lost. At 13:44, the crew broadcast a Mayday call to air traffic control (ATC) stating that all four engines had failed; however, due to the atmospheric interference affecting radio quality, Jakarta ATC misinterpreted the message as only engine number 4 having failed. Fortunately, a Garuda Indonesia flight picked up the distress signal and relayed the information to Jakarta ATC. The crew attempted to use their transponder, but Jakarta ATC could not see them on radar. Facing the prospect of a forced landing in the Indian Ocean, the crew attempted to restart the engines. Although initial attempts failed, they successfully restarted the engines at an altitude of 13,500 feet. The aircraft began to climb, but the St. Elmo's fire effect on the windshield recurred, causing engine number 2 to surge and flame out; the aircraft subsequently descended to and maintained an altitude of 12,000 feet. Flight 009 approached Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in Jakarta. Visibility was poor due to the damaged windshield, so the crew attempted an instrument landing; however, the vertical guidance system was inoperative, forcing the pilot to rely on the lateral guidance system. The co-pilot monitored the airport's Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), calling out their altitude at each DME interval, and they landed safely despite the obscured windshield and engine damage. and the vertical guidance instrument—apologies if I am mistaken.
2026-07-07 16:02:11