ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 224865
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| Date: | Tuesday 8 May 2018 |
| Time: | 19:15 LT |
| Type: |  Airbus A320-232 |
| Owner/operator: | Jetstar Airways |
| Registration: | VH-VQL |
| MSN: | 2642 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Engine model: | IAE V2527-A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 123 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Incident |
| Location: | near Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD/YSSY) -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Avalon Airport, VIC (AVV/YMAV) |
| Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD/YSSY) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the evening of 9 May 2018, an Airbus A320, registration VH-VQL, was being operated on a regular public transport flight by Jetstar Airways. The flight departed Avalon Airport at about 18:00 Eastern Standard Time, for Sydney, Australia.
Approaching Sydney Airport, air traffic control (ATC) cleared the aircraft for a high-speed descent from flight level FL250 for the RIVET TWO Standard Instrument Arrival (STAR). At about 18:46, the first officer (FO), who was the pilot flying, commenced the descent via the published waypoints for the STAR.
After passing DUDOK, ATC provided clearance to conduct the runway 34L Independent Visual Approach (IVA) and provided radar vectors for a final approach intercept. Crossing the coast, the aircraft was about 2,000 ft high on profile compared with other similar approaches.
After passing BOOGI on descent, the captain commented to the FO on the possibility of track shortening due to the only preceding traffic being on final approach for runway 34L.
Observing the aircraft was high, the flight crew selected ‘open descent mode’ in order to increase the aircraft’s rate of descent. They then deployed speed brakes in an attempt to intercept the runway 34L glideslope.
After intercepting the final approach course, the flight crew selected landing gear down and disengaged the autopilot. The FO reported manually flying the aircraft to intercept the glideslope from above. At about 2,850 ft, which was 300 ft above glideslope, the flight crew selected the first flap setting for landing.
Prior to configuring for ‘flaps 2’, the flight crew selected the missed approach altitude of 3,000 ft in the altitude window of the flight control unit (FCU). The recorded data indicated that the altitude selector was also pulled, which changed the aircraft’s vertical flight mode from open descent to open climb. In response to the mode change, the auto-thrust system, which was active at the time, increased thrust to climb the aircraft to 3,000 ft. Unaware of the thrust increase, the flight crew continued configuring for the approach by selecting ‘flaps 2’.
The increase in thrust increased the aircraft’s airspeed. This led to the FO reducing the aircraft’s descent rate in an attempt to manage the acceleration and prevent flap overspeed. Despite this, the aircraft’s airspeed continued to increase, leading to a 2 kt flap overspeed. Reducing the rate of descent also resulted in the aircraft diverging further from the approach glide path.
The recorded data showed that a thrust lever reduction to idle occurred just prior to exceeding the ‘flaps 2’ extension speed. A few seconds later, the airspeed decreased back below the maximum ‘flaps 2’ extension speed. Observing that the approach was not stable, the captain commanded the FO to go around.
In response, the FO increased the thrust levers to the take-off/go-around setting (TOGA) however, recorded data showed that the aircraft was not pitched to the required 15° nose-up attitude. Consequently, the aircraft continued to accelerate. The captain reported that he announced ‘pitch’ and ‘speed’ to draw the FO’s attention to the under rotation. However, the aircraft’s airspeed exceeded the maximum ‘flaps 2’ extension speed by 8 kt. The FO reported identifying that as the aircraft was going to exceed the ‘flaps 2’ speed, he selected ‘flaps 1’, which was not in accordance with the standard operating procedures. However, the aircraft also accelerated through the maximum ‘flaps 1’ extension speed of 230 kt by about 8 kt and by the time the flap had fully retracted, the exceedance had increased to 24 kt.
Due to the aircraft’s acceleration the FO also ordered the retraction of the landing gear. By the time the landing gear had retracted fully, the aircraft had exceeded the maximum landing gear transition speed by 13 kt.
As the ‘flaps 1’ extension speed was exceeded, the captain advised the FO that he was taking control of the aircraft. Recorded data showed that the captain reduced the thrust, pitched the aircraft to 15° nose-up, and climbed to the missed approach altitude. The captain assumed the pilot flying role for the remainder of the flight, and an approach and landing was made on runway 34L.
ATSB Findings:
While descending through 1,800 ft, the crew inadvertently activated open climb mode with the selection of the assigned altitude selector to 3,000 ft. This resulted in an undetected increase in thrust, which destabilised the approach, and led to the flap overspeed.
The use of a non-standard go-around procedure, including a lower than required pitch attitude, resulted in increased acceleration and exceedance of the flap and gear limitations.
The captain's perception of the first officer's level of experience likely led to a shallow cockpit gradient. This influenced the captain's level of intervention during the approach and go-around.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5776000/ao-2018-034_final.pdf
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 1 June 2010 | VH-VQL | Jetstar Airways | 0 | Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD/YSSY) | |
sub |
Images:
Approach profile (ATSB/Google Earth)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-May-2019 15:50 | harro | Added |
| 08-May-2019 15:52 | harro | Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport] |
| 08-May-2019 18:25 | harro | Updated [Narrative] |
| 09-May-2019 18:45 | harro | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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