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

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