El Al Israel Airlines and Boeing are investigating an autopilot malfunction in a 737-800 that caused it suddenly to pitch and bank shortly after take-off, writes Arie Egozi.
According to Udi Zohar, director general of Israel's civil aviation administration, the malfunction was unusual, and only the quick reaction of the pilots prevented "severe results".
The incident happened to the 737-800 when it took off from Moscow with 120 passengers on board last month. When it reached about 3,000ft (910m), it suddenly pitched up and rolled to the left. The crew disengaged the autopilot and decided to continue the flight to Tel Aviv.
The rest of the flight was normal, and the aircraft landed at Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion airport on schedule. El Al grounded its 737 fleet for a day to check the autopilot systems. Sources say that a sudden reduction of engine power may have also occurred.
Source: Flight International
