UAE regulator probes Emirates flight ‘incident’ in Dubai

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are probing what Emirates described as “technical incident” shortly after one of its aircraft took off from Dubai on Dec. 21.

“We can confirm that a technical incident occurred on the departure of EK231 on 20 December 2021,” the state-owned airline said in a statement in response to questions from Bloomberg on Wednesday. “The flight continued safely to its destination, and after technical clearances the aircraft operated the return flight to Dubai.”

The Emirates flight, bound to Washington DC, suffered a close call after the Boeing 777-300ER nearly impacted the ground in a Dubai neighborhood, according to The Air Current, which cited Flightradar24 and a notice to Emirates pilots. The plane came within 175 feet of impacting the ground, according to the news website. The incident may have been due to “incorrect setting” of the autopilot in the plane’s pre-flight setup, it said.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority didn’t immediately respond to an email and calls seeking comment. Emirates declined to comment on the details of the incident due to the ongoing investigation.

“The incident is under investigation and we are unable to provide further comment at this time,” said a spokesperson for Emirates. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do and would never be compromised.”