Aircraft and Flight Details
Airbus A310-308 (registration C-GPAT, serial number 597) operated by Air Transat was conducting flight TSC211 from Québec International Airport/Jean Lesage to Montréal International Airport/Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The flight crew consisted of a captain and a check pilot acting as co-pilot. The aircraft carried 9 crew and 89 passengers.
Departure and Initial Climb
At around 1439 Eastern Standard Time, TSC211 was cleared for take-off from Runway 06. The runway visual range was 1800 feet, with wind from 090° magnetic at 24 knots gusting to 32 knots. During the take-off run, the co-pilot's headphones became partially unplugged, hindering his callout. The captain rotated the aircraft at 182 knots, 44 knots above the calculated rotation speed. The aircraft lifted off and began a right turn to the assigned heading of 110° magnetic. The flight director switched to altitude acquisition mode at 900 feet above ground level, with the aircraft at 19° nose up and a climb rate of about 6300 feet per minute.
Loss of Pitch Control
At 2350 feet above sea level, engine power briefly decreased. To level off at 3000 feet, the pilot flying used electric trim for nose-down input. The aircraft reached 3100 feet and then began descending. Despite nose-up elevator inputs, the descent continued. The trimmable horizontal stabilizer moved nose-down, and the aircraft descended through the assigned altitude of 3000 feet. The co-pilot warned of the nose-down attitude. The pilot flying inadvertently pressed the Go Levers, activating go-around mode and slat retraction. Several overspeed warnings and enhanced ground proximity warning system alerts activated. The aircraft reached a minimum indicated altitude of 1393 feet above sea level (radio altitude 995 feet above ground) and a maximum speed of 370 knots before pitch control was regained.
Recovery and Landing
The co-pilot took control, reduced power, and the aircraft began climbing. The crew transmitted PAN PAN messages, suspecting an airspeed indication problem. After checking with air traffic control, the aircraft climbed normally. The electronic centralized aircraft monitor showed no fault messages. The crew cancelled the emergency and continued to Montréal, landing without further incident. An inspection found no damage or malfunctions.
Crew Actions
During the event, the crew made several transmissions on the tower frequency. The pilot flying initially disengaged the autopilot shortly after engagement. The co-pilot's actions included retarding throttles and disengaging autothrottle. After landing, the crew could not identify the cause of the control difficulty.