United Airlines Jet Accident at Houston Airport
Disturbing footage and cockpit recordings reveal the moment a United Airlines jet skidded off the runway, necessitating an emergency evacuation for passengers.
This audio and video were made public on Wednesday as part of a set of documents from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concerning a Boeing 737-8 MAX incident that occurred on March 8, 2024, at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Flight 2477, which was carrying around 160 passengers from Memphis, Tennessee, was filmed struggling to stop on a slippery runway before veering off into the grass.
Meanwhile, cockpit audio captured a tense dialogue between Captain Alireza Dzhokharchi and co-pilot Michael Dixon. After the plane left the runway, Dzhokharchi expressed his disbelief, saying, “Oh my god, I can’t believe that happened. Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” according to documents.
The transcripts detailed how they quickly coordinated with authorities for evacuations while checking on passenger safety.
Dzhokharchi was evidently shaken, reflecting, “I can’t believe I did this,” and he apologized to Dixon for the incident. He was also worried about a video of the accident that had started circulating online, saying, “Foolish people taking videos…oh, we’re going to be jumping on social media.”
The aircraft was left tilted, with the left wing resting on the ground beyond the runway’s edge. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the event.
The NTSB’s performance investigation indicated that the Boeing 737 failed to decelerate adequately before attempting to exit the runway. In an earlier report, the captain had voiced concerns about the aircraft’s inability to slow down sufficiently when it was 1,000 feet from the runway’s end, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
After realizing the situation, Dzhokharchi applied more brake pressure, but the airplane’s brake pedals and rudder vibrated violently as he attempted to guide it onto the taxiway.
The NTSB is still investigating this incident, and a definitive cause has yet to be announced.
