Air France Flight 358

The Airbus A340- 313X a day after the disaster

The Air France flight 358 (AF 358) was a passenger flight of Air France on August 2, 2005 by Paris -Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG ) to Toronto Pearson International Airport ( YYZ). The machine left Paris at 11:15 UTC clock ( clock 13:15 local time) and landed in Toronto at 20:02 clock UTC ( 16:02 local time clock ).

On landing in the Canadian airport, the aircraft fired on the runway addition, crashed into a ditch and burst into flames. On board the Airbus 340- 313X there were 309 people (297 passengers and 12 crew members), captain was the 54 -year-old Alain Rosaye and co-pilot was the 42 -year-old Frédéric Naud. Since the accident claimed no fatalities and only a few minor injuries, is also spoken by the wonders of Toronto. The machine was completely gutted.

Then all the planned landings were diverted to other airports, the largest action after surgery Yellow Ribbon, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001 255 flights to 15 Canadian airports were diverted.

Expiration

The accident happened on 2 August 2005 at 16:02 local time clock.

At this time reigned over the airport a strong thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The aircraft touched down late on on the runway 24 and slowed by the chassis brakes with full force. However, the thrust reversing was initiated only 12.8 seconds after landing, and only 16.4 seconds after the landing had reached this full force. However, the braking distance was no longer enough, she rolled 200 feet above the end of the track out and came to a halt when she crashed into a up to 30 meters deep ditch. The aircraft slid it through a forest to the vicinity of Dixon Road and Highway 401, one of the busiest highways in the world, where it came to a halt and broke. In the middle of the engine fire broke out and blocked some exits, also failed two emergency chutes. Nevertheless, managed the evacuation of the aircraft within two minutes after the crash landing, with some inmates treat injuries sustained injuries. The first officer left the wreck last.

The passengers ran to the highway, which runs parallel to the runway, where they took in receiving the Peel Regional Police. Some wounded, including the captain, were taken by motorists and taken to nearby hospitals. The aircraft burned within two hours of completely, the final deletion was reported at 18:00 clock. The accident was filmed by a webcam and broadcast live on CNN and n-tv. In the immediate tarnished determining the reported by some eyewitnesses lightning could not be confirmed.

Passengers

Aircraft

When it crashed plane was a Airbus A340 -313, which had made its first flight in 1999. The aircraft with the aircraft registered F- GLZQ was equipped with four CFM56- 5C4 engines that could bring it to a maximum speed of 0.86 Mach. The last review of the aircraft was carried out on 5 July 2005.

Investigation

The accident investigation was carried out by the Canadian Transportation Security Administration ( TSB Transportation Safety Board of Canada ) in collaboration with other organizations:

Assumptions Canadian investigators prior to the examination

Canadian investigators collected prior to the investigation of the accident, both pilots Airbus allegations. They criticized in particular the behavior of the first officer, who led the aircraft to the time of the accident. He did fit down the airplane only " far behind the normal touchdown zone " and thus clearly too late to start and runway, and thereby misses the safe zone of the 2800 meter long runway. The pilots had indeed, after they had noticed the error, nor initiated an emergency brake, although the aircraft have moved on the unpaved terrain after the end of the runway with still about 150 km / h. An assertion that the first officer was trying to get moving, could not be confirmed.

Delayed triggering of the thrust reverser

The compelling and immediately be introduced at a landing reverse thrust (also called reverse thrust ) was only 17 seconds after putting the machine and thus much too late. The captain commented later that the first officer while placing the machine control members held strong cramped, and that the captain therefore after a few seconds could activate the reverse thrust itself. The investigators assume that the remaining runway - section would have been sufficient of 1500 m without this delay to bring the plane safely to a halt.

Downburst as a possible explanation for the behavior of the aircraft

The evaluation of ground radar by the investigators showed that the speed of the aircraft on the runway initially increased, rather than decreases. Given the weather conditions at the time of landing is at least a plausible explanation for this is that a downburst went down behind the landing aircraft and the serving on the ground squall swept the airplane from behind. The aircraft had been raised from this rapidly continuous rotor and had a few meters above ground speeds without the pilot of the acceleration could respond effectively. The brakes would have been ineffective because the chassis had no more contact with the ground. This statement also testimonies of passengers are to be reconciled, they felt as the plane accelerated again.

The functions of the aircraft automatic landing were unable to prevent the accident due to the short remaining runway length. In a manually controlled landing in heavy precipitation (wet downburst ) would be complicated by the so-called hydroplaning ( aquaplaning ) added, which would have further extended the stopping distance.

Lack of warning devices at the airport

On the Toronto Airport Wind Shear was no so-called radar ( NEXRAD - next generation radar (English ) ) are present. That based on the Doppler effect radar NEXRAD to warn airport and pilots from sudden gusts and a downburst. In Canada, no airport has been equipped with the NEXRAD, in the United States, however, it is already part of the standard for airports.

Whether the air traffic control and the flight meteorologist on duty online satellite imagery from geostationary satellites were available, from which the dangerous meteorological development was clear to see, not even cleared the final investigation report of the TSB. The pilots were not those visual weather information in any case available, they strictly followed the instructions of the country Towers.

Air France CEO Jean- Cyril Spinetta said the airport oversight had to strongly advise against this adverse weather situation from a landing. Investigators, however, declared that the captain bears full responsibility for the decision to land.

Final report of the TSB

The investigations of the TSB are completed; the final report was released for publication on 16 October 2007. The TSB is substantially the result of the accident was due to a chain of adverse weather- related events.

The accident shows the view of the TSB that pilots underestimate in particular the direct effects of convective events, such as local thunderstorms, dangerous windshear and downbursts in the context of heavy rain in takeoffs and landings still. Some of the data read out the flight data recorder are documented in the appendix of the final report.

Action for damages

A slightly injured in the accident, passenger, Suzanne Deak, occurs as plaintiff on behalf of all 297 passengers and Air France wants the Canadian to $ 75 million, sue around EUR 50 million, in damages. In Ontario (Canada) they filed a class action suit against three defendants in the resident Supreme Court of the Province of Ontario. The reason given for the action on the negligence of the Air France pilots as well as neglect of duty of care, the airport operator and a private Canadian air traffic control company. According to the passengers, the accident was caused by a negligent interaction of all three defendants. Every single one of them would have made ​​mistakes before the accident.

Consequences

As after most aircraft accidents, the number of scheduled flight from Paris to Toronto was first changed. Since April 1, 2009, the flight is, however, carried out again under the number 358, depending on the season and related passenger traffic either with an Airbus A340 -300 or a Boeing 747-400.

The investigation of the TSB found that the " Runway Safety Areas" do not meet the international standards at the end of the take-off and landing runways Canadian airports and need to be improved. The TSB also suggested precautions to be taken both airlines and airport operators when landings take place under bad weather conditions.

Captain Alain Rosaye retired after the accident voluntarily leaves the service of Air France. He has performed another aircraft since the accident neither an aircraft of Air France. He continues to suffer under the mental stress and the injury outcomes. The first officer Frédéric Naud was on leave during the investigation for three months and has been flying since the beginning of 2006 for Air France again.

Italy Mach number Microburst
1870
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