Incident Overview
On 3 August 2015, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft (registration not specified) was conducting an approach to runway at LPFR (Faro, Portugal) in adverse weather conditions. The crew did not establish visual contact with the runway and decided to divert to an alternate airport. During the execution of the go-around procedure, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) activated and generated a "DON’T SINK" voice alert.
Findings
An analysis of flight parameters revealed that the GPWS activation was caused by an insufficient climb gradient during the go-around. This resulted from the unintentional selection of flaps to position 5 instead of the required position 15. No injuries were reported among the 196 persons on board.
Cause
The incident was attributed to improper crew action during the go-around procedure.
Preventive Actions
The crew was directed to a remedial simulator training session after a discussion of the event within the Training Department. The investigation commission did not issue any safety recommendations.
Investigation Details
The investigation was conducted by the operator under the supervision of Edward Łojek. No investigation team was appointed. The final report was issued on 23 September 2015.