Two E190 passenger jets landed with incorrect flap settings due in part to the before landing checklist having no requirement to crosscheck the briefed setting with the actual configuration selected, an ATSB investigation has found.
The ATSB investigated two separate incidents involving Embraer E190s operated by Alliance Airlines and conducting scheduled passenger flights: the first in February 2025, the second in March 2025.
For operational reasons, each flight crew opted for a full flap landing, rather than the more common flap 5 landing, and entered calculated performance figures for a full flap landing into the flight management system prior to descent.
Then, while configuring the aircraft for landing about 25 minutes later, neither flight crew recalled briefing for full flap, and instead incorrectly selected flap 5 for the landings.
"In both cases there was sufficient margin to safely complete the landing," ATSB Director Transport Safety Stuart Macleod noted.
"However, landing in a different configuration to what was planned can result in reduced margins for landing speeds, and therefore reduced margins for safe operation."
Alliance Airlines identified its 'before landing' checklist had no procedure for flight crews to crosscheck the selected flap setting with what had been entered into the flight management system.
Since the incidents, Alliance has amended the workflow in the 'before landing' checklist to include a requirement to confirm that the actual landing flap setting aligns with the planned flap configuration.
The operator has also mandated for E190 operations that the multifunction control and display unit (MCDU) page displaying required landing flap should be selected on the pilot flying side before the approach commences.
Crews were then required to check the planned flap setting in the MCDU against the landing flap setting in the engine-indication and crew alerting system.
Mr Macleod said the ATSB welcomed the safety actions, and noted the incidents demonstrate the need for safety systems to account for the fallibility of human memory.
"The procedures in place at the time of both occurrences required crew to brief the landing flap setting prior to top of descent, and there was no further prompt or crosscheck to ensure that the briefed flap settings were selected when configuring the aircraft for landing, around 25 minutes later," he said.
"Both incidents also highlight the importance in multi-crew operations of the role of the pilot monitoring in identifying if, and intervening when, the other flight crew member deviates from the briefed plan."
The final report notes the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority's guidance on the development of pilot monitoring skills, which states that during briefings for less common configurations, it can be beneficial to include 'monitor me' type comments to encourage intervention, such as 'remind me we are doing a full flap landing'.
You can find here the final report: Incorrect configuration occurrences involving Embraer E190s, VH-A2T and VH-A2V, Olympic Dam Airport, South Australia, on 4 February 2025 and The Granites Airport, Northern Territory, on 8 March 2025
