News Limited newspapers in Australia have an interview with the pilot of EK407 today. Sadly the article doesn't appear to be on their website yet (except referenced in an editorial at
Emirates hero | Herald Sun) but here are some snippets:
Realising the plane had not reached a speed high enough to get airborne, and with the end of the runway reapidly approaching, the pilot and co-pilot were desperately checking controls, trying to find the problem.
At the last second, the pilot engaged a rapid acceleration known as TOGA and lifted the plane off the ground.
...
"I think I reacted on instinct," he said. "I had a feeling that (something) wasn't working, but I couldn't find out what was wrong. I knew I couldn't stop. At that point I knew we just had to go. And we got it off the ground, miraculously."
...
Over a number of interviews the pilot revealed:
- He had slept for only 3.5 hours in the 24 hours before the flight taking off on March 20.
- The brush with death upset him so badly that he did not sleep for four days.
- He and his co-pilot were ordered to resign and handed pre-prepared letters of resignation when they returned to Emirates headquarters.
- He was still so horrified by the incident he could not bear to think about it.
- He needed to find another job, but did not know if he would every fly again.