XL Airways Germany flight 888T
| XL Airways Germany flight 888T | |
|---|---|
,_Airbus_A320.jpg) The accident machine at Stuttgart Airport , June 1, 2008 |
|
| Accident summary | |
| Accident type | Loss of control in the low-speed stall |
| place | Mediterranean Sea , near Canet-en-Roussillon |
| date | November 27, 2008 |
| Fatalities | 7 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A320-232 |
| operator | XL Airways Germany |
| Mark | D-AXLA |
| Departure airport | Perpignan airport |
| Destination airport | Perpignan airport |
| Passengers | 4th |
| crew | 3 |
| Lists of aviation accidents | |
The XL Airways Germany flight 888T was a flight to test the functions of the Airbus A320-232 D-AXLA . During this test flight on November 27, 2008, the machine crashed into the Mediterranean , near Canet-en-Roussillon . The plane took off from Perpignan airport , passed over Gaillac and returned to Perpignan, then crashed into the water. The test took place because the aircraft was leased and was due to be returned to the original owner. Seven people were on board, two German pilots as well as an examiner and four Air New Zealand employees.
All seven occupants were killed in the crash.
plane
The Airbus A320-232 with the aircraft registration D-AXLA has been leased from XL Airways Germany since May 2006 . On December 1, 2008, the A320 should be returned to Air New Zealand . The day before the crash, the aircraft was repainted in Air New Zealand's colors.
crew
The 51-year-old captain had 12,709 hours of flight experience, the 58-year-old co-pilot 11,660.
the accident
The Airbus took off at 14:44 on the test flight Flight 888T ( Triple Eight Tango ), during which all flight systems were to be tested. On board were two pilots from XL Airways Germany, an examiner and several employees from Air New Zealand. When the pilots wanted to make a 360 ° turn at Bordeaux , the air traffic controller did not give permission. Instead, the pilots made a 180 ° turn and flew back towards Perpignan . During the landing approach to the airport Perpignan pilots wanted in about 3,000 feet in elevation a low-speed stall ( stall perform). To do this, the pilots extended the landing flaps and the landing gear. This dropped the speed to 99 knots (180 km / h ) and the stall alarm was triggered. The pilots gave full thrust to the engines and tried to push their noses down, but the plane did not respond. The Airbus then rose to an altitude of 3800 feet and its speed dropped below 40 knots. The machine tipped over the right wing and at 15:46 hrs at an angle of 14 ° at a speed of 263 knots (490 km / h) into the Mediterranean Sea , five nautical miles from Canet-en-Roussillon . All seven inmates died.
Cause of accident
The cause of the crash was attributed to a malfunction of the angle of attack sensors. Before take-off, the Airbus had been hosed down with water, with some water entering the angle of attack sensors. During the flight, the water froze and the sensors showed incorrect data. At the low-speed stall, the flight computer switched to manual operation because of the contradicting data, and the warning Use Man Pitch Trim appeared on the display , meaning that you can only steer with the trim wheel. The pilots had probably overlooked the warning and tried to push their nose down with the sidestick.
One of the causes was that the pilots performed the low-speed stall at an altitude of 3,000 feet instead of the mandatory 10,000 feet.
In the media
The crash was discussed in the series Mayday - Alarm im Cockpit in the episode Fatal Test , Season 13 - Episode 8.
Similar events
- Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231 on a Boeing 727 on December 1, 1974
- Alas Nacionales Flight 301 on a Boeing 757 on February 6, 1996
- Aeroperú flight 603 with a Boeing 757 on October 2, 1996
- Austral Líneas Aéreas flight 2553 on a Douglas DC-9 on October 10, 1997
- Air France Flight 447 on an Airbus A330 on June 1, 2009
- Air Algérie flight 5017 with a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 on July 24, 2014
- Saratov Airlines Flight 703 with an Antonov An-148 on February 11, 2018
swell
- Article on Aviation Safety Network
- Official investigation report
- Animation of the BEA
- Flight 888T on BEA
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- Mayday - Alarm in the cockpit (documentary series about air accidents), Season 13, Episode 8
Coordinates: 42 ° 41 ′ 11 " N , 3 ° 8 ′ 58" E