August 19, 1980
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Airlines, 163
Lockheed 1011-200 TriStar
HZ-AHK
The flight experienced fire in the aft cargo compartment 6 minutes after takeoff from Rilyadh.
The plane returned to the airport and landed but because of a delay in evacuating the plane,
all aboard were killed by smoke and fire. Half a minute before landing the captain decided not
to order an emergency evacuation. When he landed, he did not stop immediately but instead
proceeded to make a normal landing delaying the fire equipment from putting out the fire. It
took a full twenty-three minutes after touchdown before the doors were opened. The failure
of the captain to prepare the cabin crew for immediate evacuation upon landing and his
failure in not making a maximum stop landing on the runway, with immediate evacuation. All
301 aboard were killed.
CAM-1 = Captain
CAM-2 = First Officer
CAM-3 = Flight Engineer
CAM-4 = Flight Attendant
RDO-2 = Radio transmission by First Officer
PA = Public address system
TMACC = Riyadh Terminal Area Control Center
TWR = Riyadh Tower
| 18:07:49 | Takeoff | |
| 18.14:53 | CAM | ((Hostess call signal followed by an alternating tone at 14.54) |
| 18.14:58 | CAM-3 | "B" aft cargo |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| 18.15:01 | CAM-3 | "B" aft cargo |
| 18.15:04 | CAM-2 | What's going on? |
| 18.15:10 | CAM-3 | Smoke detection "B" aft cargo |
| 18.15:14 | CAM-1 | Stop ventilation |
| 18.15:16 | CAM-3 | Smoke detection |
| CAM-3 | Smoke detection "B" aft cargo | |
| 18.15:20 | CAM-1 | In "B" aft cargo |
| CAM-3 | Yes | |
| 18.15:32 | CAM-1 | Did you turn it to the other one? |
| 18.15:37 | CAM-3 | Just in "B". |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| 18.15:39 | CAM-3 | Not in "A". |
| CAM-3 | Just in "B". | |
| CAM-1 | Just "B". | |
| 18.15:42 | CAM-3 | Yeah, "A" is okay. |
| CAM-1 | Okay, so we can go on | |
| CAM-3 | Yes | |
| 18.15:51 | CAM-1 | The ventilation is not working at all in that one |
| CAM-3 | Yeah | |
| CAM | ((Alternating tone)) | |
| 18.15:55 | CAM-3 | There is "A" |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| CAM-3 | Now it is "A", both of them | |
| 18.15:59 | CAM-1 | So we got to be returning back right? |
| CAM-3 | Both "A" and "B" aft cargo smoke detection | |
| 18.16:06 | CAM-1 | So we have smoke there |
| 18.16:07 | CAM-3 | I would say so, yeah |
| 18.16:18 | CAM-1 | What's the procedure for it in the checklist? |
| 18.16:20 | CAM-1 | Yeah I am looking for it now |
| 18.17:10 | CAM-1 | ((Singing in Arabic)) |
| 18.17:16 | CAM-1 | See that, what's it's name |
| 18.17:17 | CAM-2 | Abnormal |
| 18.17:19 | CAM-1 | No, no checklist abnormal |
| 18.18:26 | CAM-3 | Both "A" and "B" |
| CAM-3 | Yeah. Both "A" and "B" | |
| CAM-3 | Shall I test it again and see if it will test? | |
| CAM-1 | Yeah | |
| 18.18:34 | CAM-3 | It doesn't test |
| CAM-1 | Doesn't test? | |
| CAM-3 | Both off | |
| CAM-1 | So that's actual isn't it? | |
| 18.18:54 | CAM-3 | That would ah --- I would say actual, yeah |
| CAM-1 | Uh | |
| CAM-3 | I would say so, yeah both of them went | |
| 18.19:00 | CAM-1 | We have cleared the situation |
| 18.19:17 | CAM-1 | There isn't anything about it in the abnormal procedures, huh. |
| 18.19:20 | CAM-3 | Nothing about it, should I just go back there and see if I can find anything or smell anything? |
| 18.19:25 | CAM-1 | What? |
| 18.19:26 | CAM-3 | Shall I go back there and see if I can smell anything? |
| CAM-1 | Okay, sure. | |
| CAM-3 | Yeah | |
| CAM | ((Sound of cockpit door opening)) | |
| 18.19:30 | CAM-1 | Have they seen it |
| CAM-3 | If I can see, smell something I'm think we better go back | |
| 18.19:35 | CAM-1 | Surely check it |
| CAM-3 | We'll see | |
| 18.19:40 | CAM | ((Sound similar to cockpit door slamming)) |
| 18.19:41 | CAM-2 | Strange no procedure for it |
| CAM-1 | No procedure for it? | |
| 18.19:44 | CAM-1 | Tell them we're returning back |
| CAM-2 | To Riyadh | |
| 18.19:48 | CAM-1 | We are 60 miles out ah --- |
| 18.19:58 | CAM-1 | We better go, go back to Riyadh |
| CAM-1 | Look in the abnormal | |
| CAM-1 | By the way he's a jackass, in the abnormal it is in the checklist | |
| 18.20:16 | CAM-3 | We've got a fire back there |
| CAM | ((Sound similar to door slamming)) | |
| 18.20:18 | CAM-1 | We do? |
| CAM-3 | Yes we do | |
| CAM-1 | It's okay call please | |
| 18.20:25 | CAM-1 | Tell him we're coming back |
| 18.20:25 | TMACC | Go ahead |
| 18.20:27 | RDO-2 | 18.1-6-3, we're coming back to Riyadh |
| 18.20:30 | CAM-3 | I would declare an emergency |
| CAM-1 | Yeah | |
| 18.20:33 | TMACC | Cleared to reverse course to Riyadh and request reason |
| CAM-2 | Declare emergency? | |
| 18.20:36 | CAM | ((Door slams)) |
| 18.20:37 | CAM-? | Fire, fire in the cabin |
| 18.20:37 | RDO-2 | Saudia one six three, we've got fire in the cabin and please alert the fire trucks |
| CAM | ((Noise similar to door slamming)) | |
| 18.20:45 | TMACC | Okay and cleared back and if you'd like to descend, you can descend to any altitude you like |
| 18.20:50 | CAM-1 | Okay |
| CAM-2 | I already asked, I already asked | |
| 18.23:07 | CAM-3 | We definitely want |
| 18.23:10 | CAM-3 | We definitely, we definitely want preference to land |
| CAM-1 | Huh? | |
| 18.23:13 | CAM-3 | We definitely want preference to land, that's for sure |
| CAM-1 | Yeah | |
| 18.23:22 | CAM-1 | Pressurization set? --- |
| CAM | ((cabin announcement - unintelligible)) | |
| 18.23:27 | CAM-1 | Okay |
| 18.23:32 | CAM-2 | No smoking sign on |
| CAM-1 | Okay, no smoking sign | |
| 18.23:36 | CAM-1 | Landing preliminary |
| 18.23:40 | CAM-3 | Okay landing preliminary |
| 18.23:41 | CAM-3 | 18.1-42 on the bug |
| CAM-1 | one forty-two | |
| 18.23:42 | CAM-2 | one forty-two |
| CAM-3 | Anti-ice | |
| CAM-1 | Off | |
| 18.23:50 | CAM-3 | HSI heading |
| CAM-1 | Set | |
| 18.23:51 | CAM-3 | Seatbelt sign |
| CAM-1 | On | |
| CAM-3 | Ah | |
| CAM-3 | Logo light | |
| CAM-1 | It's okay | |
| 18.23:55 | CAM-3 | Logo light |
| CAM-1 | Checked | |
| 18.23:58 | CAM-3 | Altimeters |
| CAM-1 | Altimeters is gonna be what it is | |
| CAM-1 | It was 1-0-0-2 setting | |
| 18.24:03 | CAM-3 | Okay, and airspeed, groundspeed, airspeed and EPR bugs |
| 18.24:16 | CAM-3 | Gross weight estimates |
| 18.24:16 | CAM | ((Sound of alternating tone)) ((Smoke detector aural warning)) |
| 18.24:21 | CAM-3 | What can I say |
| 18.24:22 | CAM-1 | Okay |
| CAM-3 | I think it's all right now | |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.24:25 | CAM-2 | one one zero |
| CAM-3 | Gross weight airspeed and EPR bugs | |
| CAM-1 | Set and cross checked, one forty two set here two and one five five check | |
| CAM-2 | One five five | |
| CAM-3 | Check | |
| 18.24:40 | CAM-1 | Keep the oxygen to be prepared |
| 18.24:41 | CAM-3 | ((Sound of alternating tone three times simultaneously with above)) |
| CAM-3 | There goes "A" | |
| PA | # # # # | |
| 18.24:49 | CAM-1 | ((Singing in Arabic)) |
| 18.24:59 | PA | Would passengers please remain seated |
| 18.25:04 | CAM-2 | Six point eight |
| CAM-1 | Huh? | |
| CAM-2 | Six point eight on the QNH | |
| CAM-2 | One zero zero six decimal eight | |
| CAM-? | ((Continuous talk by female voice in background)) | |
| 18.25:12 | CAM-1 | Okay zero six decimal eight |
| 18.25:26 | CAM-1 | Okay the throttle in engine number two, it's not returning back --- stuck |
| CAM-3 | Stuck? | |
| 18.25:32 | CAM-1 | Stuck |
| 18.25:36 | CAM-3 | I would leave it the way it is, Sir |
| CAM | ((Sound of knocking)) | |
| CAM-1 | Huh? | |
| CAM-3 | Just leave it the way it is. | |
| 18.25:40 | CAM-1 | I'm going to shut it down |
| 18.25:41 | CAM-4 | We tried to, we tried to put it off, at L4 there is a fire |
| CAM-3 | There's a fire? | |
| CAM-4 | Yeah | |
| CAM-3 | Well go put it out | |
| 18.25:45 | TMACC | One six three, did you get the message to get us the passengers on board and fuel endurance |
| CAM-4 | How | |
| 18.25:47 | CAM-3 | In the ah, --- the fire extinguisher |
| CAM-4 | I know I said we will do it | |
| 18.25:50 | CAM-3 | There is a fire back there |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.25:54 | CAM | ((Sound similar to door slamming)) |
| 18.25:55 | CAM-1 | Tell them we have actual fire in the cabin |
| 18.25:59 | RDO-2 | Riyadh Saudi Arabia one six three, we have an actual fire in the cabin now |
| 18.26:07 | CAM-3 | Shall I let Jeddah know on HF? |
| CAM-1 | No | |
| 18.26:10 | TMACC | Saudi one six three roger, the fire are in the standby position and they are ready |
| CAM-3 | No? | |
| CAM-1 | Not with our situation | |
| 18.26:17 | RDO-2 | One six three |
| 18.26:18 | PA | L4 and R4 get the fire extinguishers from the galley --- ((repeated)) |
| 18.26:29 | CAM-3 | Geez lets go on as fast as we can till we can get to approach |
| 18.26:31 | CAM-1 | That's it, this is the maximum |
| CAM-3 | Yeah | |
| 18.26:34 | CAM-1 | Now engine number two is stuck there so something is wrong in it, I'm gonna be shut it down |
| 18.26:39 | CAM | ((Sound similar to cockpit call chime)) |
| 18.26:40 | CAM-3 | Well not yet, not yet, not yet |
| 18.26:42 | CAM-4 | There is no way I can go to the back * * after L2 R2 because the people are fighting in the aisles |
| CAM-3 | Okay find a way if you can | |
| 18.26:53 | CAM-4 | L4 R4 L3 R3 * * open the cabinet and use all your fire extinguishers and the CO2 |
| 18.27:02 | CAM-3 | I'll keep your speed up as long as possible |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| CAM-1 | As soon as possible we're gonna be down | |
| 18.27:16 | PA | (All passengers remain in your seats, etc.) |
| 18.27:21 | CAM-3 | And your target speed is one forty one |
| CAM-1 | Huh one forty one is set | |
| 18.27:30 | CAM-3 | Here's the bug card |
| 18.27:32 | CAM-1 | Thank you |
| 18.27:39 | CAM-2 | Set on mine |
| 18.27:40 | PA | Please, everybody set down, move out of the way, everybody sit down, move out of the aisle, there is no danger from the airplane, everybody should stay in their seats |
| PA | Sit on your seat, sit on your seat, ladies and gentlemen take your seat --- nothing will happen to aircraft, ladies and gentlemen fasten your seatbelt, don't stand like this set on your seats -- sit down, sit down [in Urdu] | |
| 18.28:03 | CAM-3 | Piece of cake, piece of cake |
| 18.28:10 | CAM-3 | As soon as we land, sir, I suggest that we turn off all fuel valves |
| 18.28:14 | CAM-1 | Okay |
| CAM-3 | As soon as we land | |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.28:17 | CAM-3 | As soon as we touch down |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.28:22 | CAM-1 | Where is the runway? |
| CAM-1 | Can you see the runway? | |
| 18.28:27 | CAM-2 | No not yet, not yet |
| 18.28:29 | CAM-2 | Twenty eight miles |
| CAM-? | # # # | |
| 18.28:40 | CAM-3 | Did you tell the fire trucks to go to the back of the airplane as soon as possible |
| CAM-2 | Yeah | |
| CAM-1 | Huh | |
| PA | Will all passengers remain seated, will all passengers remain seated, ((Urdu)) --- ladies and gentlemen sit down, sit down (repeated) | |
| CAM-1 | Advise them | |
| CAM-1 | Huh | |
| CAM-2 | Advise them? | |
| 18.28:50 | CAM-1 | How? |
| 18.28:50 | RDO-2 | Riyadh one six three |
| CAM-2 | Advise them | |
| 18.28:52 | TWR | Go ahead |
| CAM | ((Sound of two knocks)) | |
| CAM-1 | Yeah, yeah | |
| 18.28:54 | RDO-2 | Please advise fire trucks to be at tail of the airplane after touch, please. |
| 18.28:59 | TWR | Yes, will do |
| 18.29:01 | CAM-1 | Where is the airport, I don't see it? |
| CAM-4 | Captain there is too much smoke in the back | |
| CAM-2 | There is the airport road, the yellow lamps are the airport road. | |
| CAM-1 | Huh | |
| CAM-2 | The yellow lamps are the airport road | |
| CAM-1 | That | |
| CAM-2 | Yeah | |
| CAM-4 | # # # | |
| CAM-1 | Are there too much smoke there? | |
| 18.29:34 | CAM-3 | Okay, I am going to test the system again |
| 18.29:36 | CAM | ((Sound of alternating tone)) ((Smoke detector)) |
| 18.29:38 | CAM-3 | Okay, there's both "A" and "B" loops working again |
| 18.29:44 | CAM-3 | And no indication of smoke |
| 18.29:46 | CAM-1 | Huh |
| 18.29:47 | CAM-3 | No ah indication of smoke, however, the cabin is filled with smoke in the back |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.29:53 | CAM-1 | Now the number two is stuck there the engine |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.29:56 | CAM-3 | I suggest we shut it down on short final |
| 18.29:59 | CAM | ((Sound of alternating tone)) |
| 18.29:59 | CAM-1 | Yeah, on short final |
| 18.30:01 | CAM-3 | Okay, there is "A" again |
| 18.30:03 | CAM-3 | And "A" is going out |
| 18.30:20 | CAM | ((Sound similar to door movement)) |
| 18.30:27 | PA | ((Passenger exhorting passengers to sit down)) |
| 18.30:35 | CAM-3 | What is he saying? |
| CAM-2 | Trying to keep them calm, keep the down | |
| 18.30:41 | CAM-1 | Okay flaps four please |
| 18.30:45 | CAM-1 | Okay, final to the box |
| 18.30:47 | CAM-2 | Final to the box please |
| 18.30:52 | CAM | ((Sound similar to seat movement)) |
| 18.30:56 | PA | Everybody sit down please, all passengers |
| 18.31:00 | CAM-1 | Okay flaps ten please, correction, it's okay |
| CAM | ((Sound of cough)) | |
| CAM-? | * | |
| CAM-2 | They are the first people | |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| CAM-2 | They are the first people | |
| CAM-1 | Who are they? | |
| 18.31:13 | CAM-2 | They are the people we were talking about |
| CAM-1 | Huh | |
| CAM-2 | They are the people we were talking about | |
| 18.31:18 | CAM-1 | Where is the airport I don't see it |
| CAM-2 | You see those lights over there, that's the stadium | |
| 18.31:22 | CAM-2 | I got the field in sight |
| 18.31:25 | CAM-1 | I am just trying to intercept this (radial) |
| CAM-2 | Okay | |
| 18.31:30 | CAM-4 | Shall we evacuate? |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| 18.31:31 | CAM-4 | Did you say we should evacuate --- |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| CAM-4 | The passengers | |
| CAM-3 | Say again | |
| CAM-4 | Can we evacuate all the passengers? | |
| 18.31:34 | CAM-1 | Flaps ten please |
| CAM-3 | When we're on the ground yes | |
| CAM-4 | Okay after we are on the ground yes | |
| CAM-2 | Flaps ten | |
| CAM-1 | Yeah | |
| 18.31:38 | CAM-1 | Final to the box ! |
| 18.31:40 | CAM-2 | Final to the box please |
| 18.31:41 | CAM-3 | Final to the box |
| 18.31:42 | CAM-3 | Okay ignition |
| CAM-2 | On | |
| CAM-3 | No smoking sign | |
| CAM-2 | Say again | |
| 18.31:48 | CAM-3 | No smoking sign |
| CAM-2 | On | |
| 18.31:49 | CAM-3 | Altimeters |
| CAM-2 | Set, cross checked | |
| CAM-3 | Brake pressure | |
| CAM-2 | Checked | |
| 18.31:51 | CAM-3 | Radio and R NAV selector |
| CAM-2 | Check | |
| 18.31:54 | CAM-3 | Okay complete to the box |
| 18.31:58 | CAM-3 | Okay, right after landing sir do you want me to turn off all fuel valves? |
| 18.32:02 | CAM-1 | No after we have stopped the aircraft |
| CAM-3 | Okay | |
| 18.32:05 | CAM-1 | Okay, I'll tell you |
| 18.32:10 | CAM-4 | Do you want us to evacuate passengers Captain? |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| CAM-4 | Do you want us to evacuate the passengers as soon as we stop | |
| 18.32:16 | CAM-1 | Take your position |
| CAM-4 | Okay | |
| 18.32:19 | CAM-3 | The area duct overheat |
| CAM | ((Sound similar to door shutting)) | |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| CAM-1 | Flaps eighteen please | |
| 18.32:23 | CAM-2 | One eight |
| 18.32:25 | PA | Flight attendants please take your position |
| CAM-4 | Flight attendants please take your positions | |
| 18.32:31 | CAM-2 | Got runway in sight? |
| 18.32:33 | RDO-2 | Riyadh, one six three, we got the runway in sight, are we cleared to land? |
| CAM-1 | Oh yeah, I see it | |
| PA | Please take your positions | |
| 18.32:36 | TMACC | Affirmative, you are number one cleared for approach and you can continue tower one eighteen one |
| 18.32:42 | RDO-2 | Eighteen one, one six three |
| 18.32:44 | RDO-2 | Riyadh, Saudia one six three ten miles final runway in sight, cleared to land? |
| CAM-4 | All of you sit down | |
| 18.32:48 | TWR | One six three cleared to land, wind three two zero at five |
| 18.32:48 | CAM-1 | Okay I'm shutting |
| PA | Fasten seatbelts all of you sit down [in Urdu] | |
| 18.32:52 | CAM-1 | Okay, I'm shutting down engine number two |
| CAM-1 | It's stuck, present EPR | |
| 18.32:53 | RDO-2 | One six three, cleared to land, confirm you have alerted the fire trucks |
| CAM-3 | Okay | |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| CAM-3 | Okay | |
| 18.32:58 | TWR | Affirmative, they are ready |
| 18.32:59 | CAM-1 | Okay, it is coming down |
| 18.33:01 | RDO-2 | Thank you |
| CAM-3 | All right | |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.33:06 | CAM-2 | Flaps in eighteen |
| 18.33:08 | CAM-3 | I'll keep our speed up as much as possible |
| CAM-1 | Okay, flaps twenty two | |
| CAM-2 | Flaps twenty two | |
| CAM-4 | Give me your attention please, be seated ladies and gentlemen, we are about to land there's no reason to panic | |
| 18.33:22 | CAM-3 | I'll give you a hundred and fifty down, okay |
| CAM-1 | What? | |
| 18.22:23 | CAM-3 | A hundred and fifty on down |
| CAM-1 | Yeah sure | |
| 18.33:29 | PA | We're about to land ladies and gentlemen place your hands behind your head for impact, girls demonstrate impact position, girls demonstrate impact position |
| 18.33:31 | CAM-1 | Gear down please |
| CAM-2 | Gear is coming down | |
| 18.33:35 | CAM-3 | Okay, you can go one ninety |
| CAM-1 | Good | |
| 18.33:40 | CAM-1 | There is no, any procedure for the two engine, it's the same as three |
| CAM-2 | Okay | |
| CAM-3 | Yeah | |
| 18.33:45 | CAM-1 | I just want to confirm it, I know it God damn it |
| 18.33:52 | CAM-1 | Tell him that engine number two is should be shut down --- it's stuck |
| 18.33:57 | CAM-2 | Okay |
| 18.33:58 | CAM-1 | Tell the tower |
| CAM-2 | Yeah | |
| 18.34:00 | CAM-1 | Yeah, we just have engine number one |
| 18.34:02 | RDO-2 | Tower Saudia one six three |
| 18.34:04 | PA | The girls have demonstrated impact position, please go down half a minute before touhdown, it's half a minute before touchdown, hands behind your head |
| 18.34:06 | TWR | Go ahead one six three, wind three two zero at five |
| CAM-1 | Number one and number three | |
| 18.34:10 | RDO-2 | One six three is cleared to land, we have engine number two shut down, we have only one and three |
| 18.34:17 | TWR | Copied today |
| PA | Everybody, please sit down, everything's under control, we are landing back at Riyadh, please it down and fasten your seatbelts, sit down and fasten your seatbelts, please | |
| CAM-1 | Okay | |
| 18.34:20 | RDO-2 | Okay |
| 18.34:25 | CAM-1 | Complete the final checklist |
| CAM-2 | Complete, flaps | |
| 18.34:26 | CAM-3 | Okay, your altimeters are one zero zero seven, set and cross checked three ways, gear and anti-skid is down and checked and your flaps are at thir- twenty two |
| 18.34:39 | CAM-1 | Yeah, I know it |
| 18.34:44 | CAM-3 | Both loops "A" and "B" are out |
| CAM-1 | Thank you | |
| 18.34:53 | PA | Ladies and gentlemen, no need to panic, place your hands behind your head for impact position [Urdu] |
| 18.35:06 | CAM-3 | Aft cargo door is opened sir |
| 18.35:11 | CAM-1 | Check |
| CAM-3 | No problem | |
| PA | Now ladies and gentlemen, may I ask you to please put your hands behind your heads for the impact position | |
| 18.35:56 | CAM-3 | Looking good |
| 18.35:57 | CAM-1 | Tell them, tell them to not evacuate |
| 18.36:01 | PA | Put your hand behind your head and head between your knees, hands behind your head |
| CAM | ((Sound similar to door opening)) | |
| 18.36:07 | CAM-3 | No need for that, we are okay, no problem, no problem |
| 18.36:12 | GPWS | Minimum --- minimum |
| 18.36:12 | CAM-1 | One hundred |
| CAM-3 | One hundred | |
| 18.36:15 | CAM | ((Loud squeal begins and continues until end of CVR tape)) |
| 18.36:18 | CAM-3 | Fifty |
| 18.36:19 | CAM-3 | Forty |
| 18.36:21 | CAM-3 | Thirty |
| 18.36:22 | CAM | ((Loud squeal)) |
| ((End of CVR tape)) | ||
| 18.36:30 | approximate time of landing |