Flight IE-700 | Registration: VH-UYI
Date: 23 February 2024 | Location: Honiara International Airport (AGGH), Solomon Islands
Operator: Alliance Airlines on behalf of Solomon Airlines
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Introduction
On 23 February 2024, an Embraer ERJ-190 operated by Alliance Airlines for Solomon Airlines experienced a low-speed event during initial climb from Honiara, Solomon Islands. The aircraft, registered VH-UYI, was performing flight IE-700 to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, with 66 passengers and 4 crew on board. Shortly after take-off, the crew noticed a lack of acceleration and received a visual low-speed alert after adjusting flap settings. The incident did not escalate further, and the aircraft completed its journey to Brisbane without additional issues.
On 4 April 2025, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its final report into the occurrence, identifying multiple contributing factors, procedural inconsistencies, and potential training deficiencies that collectively increased the risk of a departure with incorrect speed mode configuration.
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Flight Details
• Aircraft Type: Embraer ERJ-190
• Engines: 2 × General Electric CF34-10E
• Operator: Alliance Airlines (for Solomon Airlines)
• Registration: VH-UYI
• Flight Number: IE-700
• Callsign: IE700
• Origin: Honiara International Airport (AGGH), Solomon Islands
• Destination: Brisbane Airport (YBBN), Queensland, Australia
• Date of Occurrence: 23 February 2024
• Occupants: 70 (66 passengers, 4 crew)
• Phase of Flight: Initial Climb
• Type of Event: Operational incident – Low speed after departure
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Sequence of Events
During the Before Start checklist, the captain inadvertently left the speed selector knob in ‘manual’ mode rather than setting it to the FMS (Flight Management System) mode, which would have allowed the aircraft to manage target speeds automatically. Compounding this, no manual speed was pre-set, resulting in the aircraft entering a climb without a valid speed reference. Once vertical navigation mode was engaged after take-off, the aircraft began to decelerate.
As the captain focused on external tasks including traffic monitoring, radio communications, and weather awareness, the first officer did not detect the decaying airspeed in time. With decreasing performance and an assumption that excess drag was the cause, the captain retracted a stage of flap below the recommended flap target speed.
This action triggered a visual low-speed alert in the cockpit, prompting the crew to review the aircraft’s configuration and identify the root cause—the incorrect speed mode selection. Once the issue was resolved, the aircraft accelerated and continued safely to Brisbane.
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ATSB Investigation Findings
The ATSB identified several contributing and risk-enhancing factors:
Primary Contributing Factors:
• The speed selector was left in manual mode during pre-flight, with no manual speed input, a condition undetected by either pilot.
• The first officer did not effectively monitor airspeed, resulting in late recognition of the aircraft’s deceleration.
• The captain’s assumption of drag led to flap retraction below the minimum flap retraction speed, worsening the low-speed condition.
• Inconsistencies between Embraer’s Airplane Operations Manual (AOM) and its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) regarding speed knob settings, increasing confusion and procedural risk.
• Alliance Airlines’ own procedures required setting the speed knob to manual before take-off, a potentially unnecessary step not aligned with best practice.
Other Safety Concerns Identified:
• The right-seat pilot shutdown flow was undocumented, diverging from manufacturer guidance.
• Crews were routinely altering speed selector knob settings during take-off, a distraction-prone practice in a critical flight phase.
• A training deficiency was likely, as pre-flight briefings and procedural verifications were found to be ineffective at identifying incorrect configuration states.
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Operational and Training Implications
The ATSB found that procedural erosion and over-reliance on informal practices may have contributed to normalisation of deviations. While the speed mode misconfiguration did not lead to a hazardous outcome in this case, it highlighted the fragility of operations where crew actions deviate from both OEM and airline SOPs.
The report recommends that Alliance Airlines review and revise training, documentation, and SOPs to:
• Eliminate unnecessary configuration steps, such as initially setting the speed knob to manual.
• Enhance checklist discipline and pre-take-off briefings to ensure speed mode is confirmed prior to departure.
• Reinforce standardisation of cockpit flows and discourage configuration changes during take-off roll unless strictly necessary.
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Safety Actions
As a result of this incident and the ATSB’s findings, it is expected that:
• Alliance Airlines will align its procedures with Embraer’s design intent.
• Flight crew training will be updated to emphasise correct configuration verification.
• Manual mode selection policies will be reviewed across other Embraer E190 operators to prevent similar misconfiguration incidents.
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Summary
This low-speed event during departure from Honiara demonstrates how minor procedural oversights—particularly involving automation settings—can have compounding consequences if not caught early. It also underscores the need for rigorous checklist adherence, effective cross-monitoring, and consistent training.
While the aircraft continued its flight without injury or damage, the incident serves as a timely reminder of the hidden risks in cockpit habit patterns and the critical importance of verifying aircraft configuration before take-off.
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Disclaimer
This report is based on the ATSB’s final findings as of 4 April 2025. All information is subject to updates should further details emerge. If you are the rightful owner of any referenced content and wish it to be removed, please contact takedown@cockpitking.com.
