Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 6 February 2010
Aircraft Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-81
Owner/operator: Scandinavian Airlines System – SAS
Registration Number: OY-KHP
Location: Grenoble-Saint Geoirs Airport (GNB) – ÿ France
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 133
Component Affected: Aircraft Control System (specifically Autopilot and Flight Control)Aircraft Control System (specifically Autopilot and Flight Control)
Investigating Agency: BEABEA
Category: Accident
On October 26, 2023, at approximately 18:53 local time, an MD-81 aircraft experienced a significant landing incident at Grenoble Airport, France. The aircraft was descending to an ILS approach to Runway 09, commencing after a dark night. The crew initiated the descent, maintaining a height of approximately 1500 feet, and then deployed the autopilot. The aircraft?s trajectory deviated from the planned path, resulting in a rapid descent and subsequent touchdown. The pilot, after a brief period of stabilization, lost control, resulting in a contact with the runway. The aircraft?s landing was characterized by a rapid increase in descent rate, a significant pitch, and a loss of control. The aircraft’s landing was not a controlled landing due to a lack of situational awareness and inadequate monitoring of the trajectory.On October 26, 2023, at approximately 18:53 local time, an MD-81 aircraft experienced a significant landing incident at Grenoble Airport, France. The aircraft was descending to an ILS approach to Runway 09, commencing after a dark night. The crew initiated the descent, maintaining a height of approximately 1500 feet, and then deployed the autopilot. The aircraft?s trajectory deviated from the planned path, resulting in a rapid descent and subsequent touchdown. The pilot, after a brief period of stabilization, lost control, resulting in a contact with the runway. The aircraft?s landing was characterized by a rapid increase in descent rate, a significant pitch, and a loss of control. The aircraft’s landing was not a controlled landing due to a lack of situational awareness and inadequate monitoring of the trajectory.

Description

The MD-81 took off from Copenhagen Airport, Denmark at 17:34 hours local time. At around 18:53 local time, the crew began the descent for an ILS approach to runway 09 at Grenoble Airport, France. It was a dark night with the moon still below the horizon. The crew was established on the localizer at about 10 nm from the runway threshold and had the runway in sight. At 19:23, at a height of approximately 1500 ft, the undercarriage was deployed at an indicated airspeed (IAS) 157 kt. At a height of about 1000 ft, the crew disengaged the autopilot. The aircraft was stabilized at a slightly higher speed than Vapp, on the glide path and with a vertical speed of -700 ft/min. At a height of approximately 200 ft, the pilot flying disconnected the auto-throttle. The approach remained stabilized on the 3ø glide path at a speed equal to Vapp + 3 kt and a descent rate of 700 ft/min until a height of 100 ft. Passing 100 ft, the IAS started to decrease and went below Vapp. The rate of descent increased to 850 ft/min. The pitch was 4ø and the nose started to lift slightly. At a height of 30 ft, the plane passed slightly below the glide slope at an IAS of Vapp -4 kt. At a height of 15 ft, the elevator was operated abruptly causing a rapid increase in pitch attitude. Two seconds later, the rear fuselage touched down, with a pitch of 10.7ø. The traces left on the runway indicate a contact point 166 meters before the touchdown zone. The vertical acceleration value reached a maximum of 1.95 g. Two seconds later, the throttles were brought back and the thrust reversers were deployed. The aircraft then rolled to the apron. CAUSE (translated from French): The accident was caused by continuing the landing when the situational awareness of the crew had deteriorated. This led to an inaccurate estimate of the height from the end point of the trajectory and no flare. The following factors contributed to the accident: – The crew did not select the maximum illumination of the landing lights; – Runway 09 at the Grenoble-IsŠre airport is not equipped with visual indicator approach slope; – Management of the manual throttles to land was inadequate.

Primary Cause

Inadequate situational awareness and monitoring of the trajectory, leading to an inaccurate height estimate and a lack of flare.Inadequate situational awareness and monitoring of the trajectory, leading to an inaccurate height estimate and a lack of flare.

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