On January 24, 2024, a Robus A320 plunged towards a Roing 747SP, operated by Lifeboat Airlines as Flight 31C, on Robloxity International Airport's runway, causing a massive explosion that destroyed both aircraft. Everyone onboard the A320 were presumed dead, with 54 out of the 205 occupants onboard Flight 31C killed as a result.
The collision forced the airport to close down the runway, hindering its operations as well as other flights meant to land at the airport. The unavailability of both runways left aircraft stranded on the tarmac for three days before the airport reopened both of them following clearing of debris on January 27, 2024.
Aircraft involved[]
A320 (EMAIR AIRLINES?)[]
The aircraft that collided with Flight 31C was presumed to have been a Robus A320 according to eyewitnesses and identifiable parts scattered around the area. The aircraft is presumed to have belonged to EmAir Airlines due to its fuselage markings being identical to it, although the latter denies ownership of it.
Lifeboat Airlines 31C (LFA 31C)[]
Lifeboat Airlines Flight 31C was a flight from Robloxity to Amazeman. The flight was operated by a 10 year-old Roing 747SP, which has been serving Lifeboat Airlines for the past few years.
Valkyrie Airways 873 (VPH 873)[]
Valkyrie Airways Flight 873 was a flight from Pacifico to Robloxity. The flight was operated by a 3 day-old Robus A330-941, which was the airline's first A330neo aircraft type.
Collision[]
At 12:01 AM, Lifeboat Airlines Flight 31C began taxiing to, and eventually lining up on the runway.
Air traffic control cleared Valkyrie Airways Flight 873 to land at the runway Flight 31C was on. The crew continued to descend towards the runway, unaware that there was an aircraft on it.
About 4 minutes later, at 12:05 AM, the Robus A320 collided with Flight 31C in a "nose-dive" position. The 747SP was fully fueled at the time, and thus, a huge explosion occurred. 56 of the 205 passengers and crew, including the three pilots aboard Flight 31C were killed, while everyone aboard the A320 were killed.
Valkyrie Airways 873 was three seconds away from touching down on the runway when the explosion occurred. The intense brightness of the explosion was easily spotted by its pilots and, immediately they began climbing up to abort takeoff. The A330 flew through the explosion, resulting in minor damage, particularly to the engines.
The explosion also shocked the controller, who was monitoring Flight 873’s approach. The controller immediately instructed the flight to go-around at the same time the pilots told ATC that they were initiating a go-around, causing a radio heterodyne. Flight 873’s crew repeated their response a few seconds later.
Aftermath[]
The position of the wreckage blocked the main taxiway to the second runway of the airport. Aircraft already taxiing were given the instruction to stop taxiing.
Los Angeles Airways Flight 90A attempted to push back but was turned down by the controllers due to the incident.
At 12:09 AM, Robloxity ATC closed down both runways due to the large area of debris, and ordered flights to divert if they do not have enough fuel left.
Valkyrie Airways 873 diverted to, and landed at Brickland Airport at 12:14 AM.
Airport firetrucks already on duty immediately went for the burning wreckage to rescue any survivors inside the Lifeboat Airlines 747, whose fire was rapidly spreading. Flames were observed through the windows of its airframes.
Cabin crew reportedly tried to open the doors but were initially unable to locate them due to the smoke and intense light from the fire. They eventually opened one of the two openable doors at the rear, but were unable to escape because of the height from the ground.
A woman stuck on the 747’s upper deck screamed at the firefighters for help. The firefighters then heard the call and attempted to rescue her. The woman was “panicking to heck”, during the rescue. Unfortunately, an explosion behind caused her to fall to her death, being impaled by a piece of the airframe.
Firefighters continued rescue efforts, successfully rescuing the Flight 31C’s surviving passengers. Some of the survivors were given medical treatment. 151 passengers initially survived but 2 died of smoke inhalation.
The fire was eventually extinguished by the airport's fire trucks at 3:01 AM, almost three hours after the collision.
Both runways became unusable by aircraft, resulting in those on the tarmac becoming stranded for three days as cleaning began. The airport reopened both runways on January 27, 2024 after the last of the wreckage was removed from them. 88 bodies were recovered from the wreckage and were identified to not be from Flight 31C’s passenger list, and were presumed to be from the A320.
The A330-900 involved that flew the VPH 873 flight had sustained damage when it flew through the explosion. It suffered damage to the engines, causing leaks. Some of the airframe had been affected by shrapnel from the explosion. It was grounded at Brickland Airport for repairs, effectively ceasing Valkyrie Airways’ three-day old A330 services, though only temporarily. The aircraft resumed service with the airline a few days later and continues serving as of August 16, 2024.
The large portions of both aircraft wreckage were transported to an empty part of the airport’s tarmac. The remains of the 747, at the request of Lifeboat Airlines, were cannibalized since most of the crucial parts, including the engines, were intact.
Investigation (On-going)[]
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Landing gear remains of the A320
Investigators reported that confusion and sudden radio interference contributed to the collision. According to the controller handling both flights, the external lights of Flight 31C made it extremely difficult to distinguish from runway lights, resulting in the controller thinking Flight 31C was not yet on the runway, and cleared Flight 873 to land on it. He did not notice the aircraft until the collision occurred. The pilots aboard Flight 873 also failed to see the 747 on the runway, and continued to descend.
When the controllers apparently instructed Flight 31C to line up on the runway, they were actually telling another aircraft taxiing to the second runway to line up.
A radio interference caused the message to be interpreted by Flight 31C’s crew as their clearance to line up on the runway.
A second interference occurred when the pilots tried to repeat the instructions to the ATC, causing the latter to interpret it as Flight 31C’s acknowledgement of the instruction. Had there been no interference, the controller would have corrected the pilots’ actions, and the aircraft would have stopped near the runway instead. Though, this would not have prevented the crash of the A320.
Investigators also discovered that the runway lights only illuminated the edges of the runway, not the centerline, also resulting in the 747 not being immediately seen by the Valkyrie Airways crew until the explosion.
Transcript Highlights[]
The contents showing what had happened before, and during the collision is unavailable.
(AFTER COLLISION AT 12:05:27)
(12:05:32 AM) VPH 873: (HETERODYNE) Robloxity Tower, Valkyrie 873 going around, going around. There was an explosion on our arrival runway.
(12:05:32 AM) ROBLOXITY ATC: (HETERODYNE) Shit- Valkyrie 873 go around, go around!
(12:05:41 AM) VPH 873: Robloxity Tower, Valkyrie 873 going around, going around. There was an explosion on our arrival runway.
(12:05:53 AM) ROBLOXITY ATC: Copy, Valkyrie 873, we just saw the explosion. Climb and maintain five thousand feet.
(12:05:59 AM) VPH 873: Climb (and) maintain five thousand (feet), Valkyrie 873.
(12:06:06 AM) LAA 90A: This is LAA Flight 90A. Permission to pushback?
(12:06:12 AM) ROBLOXITY ATC: Negative. Angels 90 Alpha, do not pushback.