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Val-d'Oise

Crash of a Boeing 747-2H7B in Paris

Date & Time: Nov 5, 2000 at 2157 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TJ-CAB
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala - Paris
MSN:
22378
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
UY070
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
16
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
187
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
20250
Captain / Total hours on type:
12000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
14188
Copilot / Total hours on type:
9767
Aircraft flight hours:
48770
Aircraft flight cycles:
12872
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Douala, the crew started the descent to Paris-Roissy-CDG Airport by night and poor weather conditions. After touchdown on the wet runway 09R, the crew started the braking procedure when the aircraft went out of control, veered to the right off runway, crossed a grassy area, lost its nose gear and came to rest between both taxiways Z6 and Z7. All 203 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft christened 'Mount Cameroon' was damaged beyond repair due to severe damages in the electronic bay because the nose landing gear penetrated the fuselage.
Probable cause:
The initial cause of the accident was the incomplete reduction of thrust on the left outer engine at the beginning of deceleration. This caused the de-activation of the automatic braking system and the non-extension of the n°1 thrust reverser. The inadvertent selection of full thrust on this engine after the landing created a high thrust asymmetry leading to the runway excursion. The lack of coordination and of joint control by the crew members, perhaps aggravated by the presence of third parties in the cockpit, contributed to the development of this situation.
Final Report:

Crash of a Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde in Gonesse: 113 killed

Date & Time: Jul 25, 2000 at 1644 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-BTSC
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Paris – New York
MSN:
203
YOM:
1975
Flight number:
AF4590
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
100
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
113
Captain / Total flying hours:
13477
Captain / Total hours on type:
317.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
10035
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2698
Aircraft flight hours:
11989
Aircraft flight cycles:
4873
Circumstances:
On Tuesday 25 July 2000 the Concorde registered F-BTSC, operated by Air France, took off from Paris Charles de Gaulle to undertake charter flight AF4590 to New York with nine crew members (3 FC, 6 CC) and 100 passengers on board. The Captain was Pilot Flying (PF), the First Officer was Pilot Not Flying (PNF). The total weights of the aircraft and of the fuel on board stated by the Flight Engineer (FE) at the time the aircraft started out were 186.9 t and 95 t respectively. The speeds selected by the crew were V1: 150 kt, VR: 198 kt, V2: 220 kt. At 13 h 58 min 27 s, the crew contacted ATC on the Flight data frequency and requested the whole length of runway 26 right for a takeoff at 14 h 30. At 14 h 07 min 22 s, the controller gave start-up clearance and confirmed runway 26 right for takeoff. At 14 h 34 min 38 s, the Ground controller cleared the aircraft to taxi towards the runway 26 right holding point via the Romeo taxiway. At 14 h 40 min 02 s, the Loc Sud controller cleared 4590 to line up. At 14 h 42 min 17 s, he gave it takeoff clearance, and announced a wind from 090° at 8kt. The crew read back the takeoff clearance. The FE stated that the aircraft had used eight hundred kilos of fuel during taxiing. At 14 h 42 min 31 s, the PF commenced takeoff. At 14 h 42 min 54.6 s, the PNF called one hundred knots, then V1 nine seconds later. A few seconds after that, tyre No 2 (right front) on the left main landing gear was destroyed after having run over a piece of metal lost by an aircraft that had taken off five minutes before. The destruction of the tyre in all probability resulted in large pieces of rubber being thrown against the underside of the left wing and the rupture of a part of tank 5. A severe fire broke out under the left wing and around the same time engines 1 and 2 suffered a loss of thrust, severe for engine 2, slight for engine 1. By 14 h 43 min 13 s, as the PF commenced the rotation, the controller informed the crew the presence of flames behind the aircraft. The PNF acknowledged this transmission and the FE announced the failure of engine 2. The recorded parameters show a transient loss of power on engine 1 that was not mentioned by the crew. At around 14 h 43 min 22 s the engine fire alarm sounded and the FE announced "shut down engine 2" then the Captain called for the "engine fire" procedure. A few seconds later, the engine 2 fire handle was pulled and the fire alarm stopped. The PNF drew the PF’s attention to the airspeed, which was 200 kt. At 14 h 43 min 30 s, the PF called for landing gear retraction. The controller confirmed the presence of large flames behind the aircraft. At 14 h 43 min 42 s the engine fire alarm sounded again for around 12 seconds. It sounded for the third time at about 14 h 43 58 s and continued until the end of the flight. At 14 h 43 min 56 s, the PNF commented that the landing gear had not retracted and made several callouts in relation to the airspeed. At 14 h 43 min 59 s, the GPWS alarm sounded several times. The FO informed ATC that they were trying for Le Bourget aerodrome. The recorded parameters then indicate a loss of power on engine 1. A few seconds later, the aircraft crashed onto a hotel at “La Patte d’Oie” in Gonesse at the intersection of the N17 and D902 roads. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 109 occupants were killed as well as four people working in the hotel. Five other employees were injured. The aircraft was chartered by the German Operator Deilmann to carry German tourists to New York. On board were nine French citizens (all crew members), 96 Germans, two Danish, one American and one Austrian.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- High-speed passage of a tyre over a part lost by an aircraft that had taken off five minutes earlier and the destruction of the tyre.
- The ripping out of a large piece of tank in a complex process of transmission of the energy produced by the impact of a piece of tyre at another point on the tank, this transmission associating deformation of the tank skin and the movement of the fuel, with perhaps the contributory effect of other more minor shocks and /or a hydrodynamic pressure surge.
- Ignition of the leaking fuel by an electric arc in the landing gear bay or through contact with the hot parts of the engine with forward propagation of the flame causing a very large fire under the aircraft's wing and severe loss of thrust on engine 2 then engine 1.
- In addition, the impossibility of retracting the landing gear probably contributed to the retention and stabilisation of the flame throughout the flight.
Final Report:

Crash of a Short 330-200 in Paris: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 2000 at 0252 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-SSWN
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris - Luton
MSN:
3064
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
SSW200
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
2240
Captain / Total hours on type:
1005.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4370
Copilot / Total hours on type:
14
Aircraft flight hours:
15215
Aircraft flight cycles:
19504
Circumstances:
The Short was departing Paris-Roissy-CDG Airport on a cargo service to Luton with two pilots on board. The crew were cleared to depart cargo stand N51 and proceed to runway 27 at 02:38. Around the same time Air Liberté Flight 8807 (an MD-83, F-GHED) also taxied to runway 27 for a flight to Madrid. At 02:44 the Charles de Gaulle ground controller asked Streamline 200 if they wished to enter runway 27 at an intermediate taxiway; the crew asked for and were granted to enter Taxiway 16. At 02:50:49 the tower controller cleared the MD-83 for takeoff: "Liberté 8807, autorisé au décollage 27, 230°, 10 à 15 kts.". The controller then immediately told the Shorts to line up and wait: "Stream Line two hundred line up runway 27 and wait, number two". As the MD-83 was travelling down the runway, the Shorts started to taxi onto the runway. At a speed of about 155 knots the left wing of MD-83 slashed through the cockpit of the Shorts plane; the MD-83 abandoned takeoff.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- Firstly, by the LOC controller’s erroneous perception of the position of the aircraft, this being reinforced by the context and the working methods, which led him to clear the Shorts to line up,
- Secondly, by the inadequacy of systematic verification procedures in ATC which made it impossible for the error to be corrected,
- Finally, by the Shorts’ crew not dispelling any doubts they had as to the position of the 'number one' aircraft before entering the runway.
Contributory factors include:
- Light pollution in the area of runway 27, which made a direct view difficult for the LOC controller,
- Difficulty for the LOC controller in accessing radar information: the ASTRE image was difficult to read and the AVISO image not displayed at his control position,
- The use of two languages for radio communications, which meant that the Shorts crew were not conscious that the MD 83 was going to take off,
- The angle between access taxiway 16 and the runway which made it impossible for the Shorts crew to perform a visual check before entering the runway,
- The lack of coordination between the SOL and LOC controllers when managing the Shorts, exacerbated by the presence of a third party whose role was not defined,
- A feedback system which was recent and still underdeveloped.
Final Report: