Jetstar changes pilot guidance after 2024 NZ runway incident

The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission has published its report into an accident in which an Airbus A320 operated by Jetstar veered off a rapid exit taxiway soon after landing at Christchurch. Read the report here. During its flight from Auckland on 31 May 2024 one of the aeroplane’s three hydraulic systems failed, disabling nosewheel steering and the right engine’s thrust reverser. The flight crew followed standard operating procedures and continued with the flight to land at Christchurch where they planned to use differential braking to steer off the runway on to the rapid exit taxiway. The landing went according to plan until the turn when the crew lost directional control and the aeroplane veered off the taxiway, hit an aerodrome signboard and continued across the grass until stopping back on the main runway. Nobody was injured but hitting the sign caused significant damage to an engine. The Commission found the captain had unintentionally moved the thrust levers from maximum reverse to climb power when they meant to move the levers to forward idle for taxiing. The lever position went unnoticed, the engines responded and the aeroplane accelerated. Chief Investigator of Accidents Louise Cook says it’s likely the engines spooling up startled the pilot, who responded instinctively, pulling both thrust levers back to maximum reverse. This produced reverse thrust on the left, but – due to the hydraulic failure – forward thrust on the right, and created a leftward turning force. “On the face of it, this option appeared safe and achievable to the pilots because Airbus documentation, repeated in Jetstar’s Flight Crew Techniques Manual, provided no guidance on use of differential braking specifically for steering off the runway via a rapid exit. The pilots could have planned to stop on the runway and wait for a tow but to avoid blocking the runway and delaying other flights, they opted for the rapid exit they had often used before. They were likely so focused on making that exit that they missed important cues that the position of the thrust levers was not as intended.” To prevent a reoccurrence, Jetstar have since changed their guidance to flight crews who find themselves in a similar situation. Airbus has accepted the Commission’s recommendation to revise aircraft manuals and instructor guidance to mitigate the risk that other pilots may move the thrust levers while on the ground to an unintended position, which would lead to an unexpected increase in engine thrust. Airbus plans to do this in April and May 2026. This accident also highlights the importance of maintenance engineers conducting a detailed inspection of new parts for potential damage before installation. In this case, a titanium hydraulic pipe was just 1mm out of shape – slightly oval, not round. It is very likely the deformity occurred when the pipe’s packaging was damaged in transit between Airbus warehouses in 2015. The damage was not detected before or after installation and failed after 18 months of service. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]