Investigation Summary
While cruising at 37,000 feet south of Java on the leg from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, the crew observed St. Elmo's fire on the windscreen and sulfurous smoke in the cabin. The aircraft had unknowingly entered a plume of dry volcanic ash, which did not appear on the weather radar because it lacked moisture. The ash acted as an abrasive, sandblasting the windscreen and landing lights, and melted inside the high-temperature combustion chambers of the Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. This molten glass-like substance clogged the turbine vanes, causing all four engines to flame out. The crew initiated a glide, descending toward the ocean while attempting restarts. As the aircraft reached denser, cooler air at lower altitudes, the solidified volcanic debris broke away from the engine internals. This allowed the crew to restart all four engines, though engine number two was later shut down due to excessive vibration. Despite severely obscured vision through the sandblasted windscreen, the pilots successfully landed at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the quadruple engine failure was caused by the ingestion of volcanic ash from Mount Galunggung. The ash caused compressor stalls and eventual flameouts by restricting airflow and contaminating the internal components. The incident highlighted the extreme danger volcanic ash poses to jet engines, leading to new international protocols for monitoring volcanic activity and rerouting air traffic.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
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Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Eric Henry Moody, aged 41. Total hours at retirement.
Systems & Failure Modes
Rolls-Royce RB211-524B Engines
The engines ingested volcanic ash which melted in the combustion chamber, coating the turbine blades and choking the airflow, leading to flameouts.
Weather Radar
The onboard radar was unable to detect the ash cloud because it was designed to detect precipitation (moisture), not dry particulate matter.
Engine Anti-Ice
Switched on by the crew early in the event, though it was ineffective against volcanic ash which is not ice-based.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft glided for approximately 12 to 15 minutes without engine power.
- 02The volcanic ash was not visible on radar because it was dry and lacked the moisture required for radar detection.
- 03The windscreen was so badly sandblasted by the ash that the pilots had to look through two small clear strips at the side to see the runway.
- 04Captain Eric Moody made a famous announcement to the passengers: 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped.'
- 05The specific leg of the flight where the accident occurred departed from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) in Kuala Lumpur.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC)
The incident led to the establishment of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers to monitor ash plumes and warn aviators globally.
Airspace Closure Protocols
Indonesian authorities permanently closed the airspace around Mount Galunggung and established rerouting procedures for volcanic events.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · Position recorded by the wikipedia geotag without a stated precision, so the ring shows roughly where the event occurred rather than an exact point. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.