Malaysia B738 near Kuala Lumpur on Apr 3rd 2022, pitot static system failure causes upset
Last Update: April 10, 2022 / 11:03:08 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Apr 3, 2022
Classification
Incident
Airline
Malaysia Airlines
Flight number
MH-2664
Departure
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Destination
Tawau, Malaysia
Aircraft Registration
9M-MLS
Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-800
ICAO Type Designator
B738
A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration 9M-MSB reached Tawau with a delay of about 4.5 hours.
Passengers told Malaysian media initially, that the aircraft had been in turbulence at FL310 when it suddenly, within seconds, lost 7000 feet to FL240 causing them to float out of their seats and to fear for their lives. That narrative was clearly disproven by radar data (the aircraft had never been at FL310 and had never maintained FL240, no drop of 7000 feet within seconds was recorded), while the air return indicated there had indeed been some sort of a problem. Neither Malaysia Airlines nor the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia responded to inquiries by The Aviation Herald however.
Malaysia Airlines initially announced the aircraft had suffered a "technical problem compounded by bad weather en route".
In a media statement on Apr 10th 2022 the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia reported that CVR and FDR of the occurrence aircraft had been secured and had been analysed. Based on the FDR data a malfunction of the pitot static system was discovered that caused erratic speed indications prompting the autopilot to disconnect and the aircraft to substantially pitch up. The crew reacted correctly pitching the aircraft down, an abrupt input from the flight crew was seen on the FDR. These maneouvers correspond with the pilot post flight reports as well as some of the passenger experiences. These maneouvers were compounded by bad weather which caused passenger discomfort in the cabin. The initial actions taken by the crew as well as the execution of the abnormal recovery checklist as per standard operating procedures were sufficient based on the initial investigation results. Malaysia Airlines completed a review of the pitot static systems including pitot heating on their fleet, the occurrence aircraft remains currently grounded pending a review by Boeing.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Apr 3, 2022
Classification
Incident
Airline
Malaysia Airlines
Flight number
MH-2664
Departure
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Destination
Tawau, Malaysia
Aircraft Registration
9M-MLS
Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-800
ICAO Type Designator
B738
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.
Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Malaysia B738 near Langkawi on Jan 19th 2017, cabin did not pressurize
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9M-MLS performing flight MH-1471 from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), was climbing through…
Malaysia B772 near Donetsk on Jul 17th 2014, aircraft was shot down from separatist controlled ground
On Jun 19th 2019 the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) held a press conference releasing additional information about the progress of the criminal…
Malaysia A333 at Brisbane on Jul 18th 2018, unreliable airspeed, hydraulic leak
A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration 9M-MTK performing flight MH-134 from Brisbane,QL (Australia) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), was in the…
Malaysia B738 near Jambi on Feb 25th 2019, low fuel indication
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9M-MXH performing flight MH-724 from Jakarta (Indonesia) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) with 120…
Malaysia B738 at Sibu on Apr 8th 2017, runway excursion, nose gear collapse
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9M-MXX performing flight MH-2718 from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu (Malaysia) with 63 passengers and 6 crew,…
Malaysia A332 at Kuala Lumpur on Jan 1st 2020, rejected takeoff due to instrument issues
A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration 9M-MTY performing flight MH-145 from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Auckland (New Zealand), was…
Newest articles
Delta BCS1 near Kansas City on Jan 31st 2023, cracked passenger window
A Delta Airlines Bombardier CS-Series CS-100, registration N105DU performing flight DL-2699 from Saint Louis,MO to Salt Lake City,UT (USA), was…
AeroInside Monthly Aviation Safety Review January 2023
January 2023 was a busy month in aviation safety. Please find our summary below.All in all, 96 new articles have been published during last month.…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner

A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.

ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
Get updates
Never miss an article from AeroInside. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and join 5599 existing subscribers.
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways