ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A320-111 F-GFKC Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 26 June 1988
Time:14:45
Type:Silhouette image of generic A320 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Airbus A320-111
Operator:Air France
On behalf of:Air Charter International
Registration: F-GFKC
MSN: 009
First flight: 1988-01-06 (6 months)
Total airframe hrs:22
Cycles:18
Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-5A1
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Passengers:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 130
Total:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 136
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport (   France)
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Demonstration
Departure airport:Basel/Mulhouse Airport (BSL/LFSB), France
Destination airport:Basel/Mulhouse Airport (BSL/LFSB), France
Flightnumber:AF296Q
Narrative:
A newly delivered Airbus A320, F-GFKC, was destroyed when it impacted trees during a low pass over the runway at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport, France. A fire broke out, killing three occupants.
The Mulhouse Flying Club had requested Air France to perform a fly by at their air show at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport on June 26, 1988.
Air France prepared a low speed pass with the gear down at 100 feet and the another pass at high speed in clean configuration. While Air France had performed more than twenty low passes since 1987, the altitude of 100 feet was not allowed according to regulations. French air safety regulations imposed a minimum VFR overflight height of 170 feet.
The fly by was to be performed using an Airbus A320, an aircraft model that was introduced by launching customer Air France in March 1988. F-GFKC was the third A320 in the fleet and had been delivered on June 23.
The flight crew scheduled to perform the demonstration flight were two captains: the head of A320 training subdivision (Pilot Flying) and a captain participating in the placing into service of the A320(Pilot Monitoring).
On board the flight were four cabin crew members and 130 passengers.
The aircraft took off from nearby Basle-Mulhouse Airport at 14:41 and climbed to 1000 feet agl. The crew started the descent three minutes later and Habsheim was in sight at 450 feet agl. The Pilot Monitoring informed the Pilot Flying that the aircraft was reaching 100 feet at 14:45:14. The descent continued to 50 feet 8 seconds later and further to 30-35 feet. Go-around power was added at 14:45:35. The A320 continued and touched trees approximately 60 meters from the end of runway 34R at 14:45:40 with a 14 degree pitch attitude and engines at 83% N1. The plane sank slowly into the forest and a fire broke out.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSES: "The Commission believes that the accident resulted from the combination of the following conditions: 1) very low flyover height, lower than surrounding obstacles; 2) speed very slow and reducing to reach maximum possible angle of attack; 3) engine speed at flight idle; 4) late application of go-around power. This combination led to impact of the aircraft with the trees. The Commission believes that if the descent below 100 feet was not deliberate, it may have resulted from failure to take proper account of the visual and aural information intended to give the height of the aircraft."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: BEA France
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: Report f-kc880626
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground

Sources:
» Final report concerning the accident which occured on June 26th 1988 at Mulhouse-Habsheim (68) to the Airbus A320, registered F-GFKC / Ministry of Planning, Housing, Transport and Maritime Affairs
» ICAO Adrep Summary 3/88 (#2)


Follow-up / safety actions

BEA issued 14 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Airbus-A320-111-F-GFKC
flight track
photo of Airbus-A320-111-F-GFKC
F-GFKC
 

Map

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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