What happened
On February 12, 1999, at approximately 15:40 UTC, an Air France Airbus A320, registration F-GJVG, was performing a commercial flight approaching Montpellier Méditerranée airport. The aircraft was cleared to descend to flight level 800. Simultaneously, a Grob G 103 glider, registration F-CGXB, was conducting local flight maneuvers near the Saint Martin de Londres airfield, climbing toward 8,60 and traversing the Seranne mountain area.
During the descent, the flight crew of the A320 observed the glider. While the crew managed to avoid a direct impact, the aircrafts collided in mid-air near Le Grenouillet. Following the collision, the A320 continued its approach and landed safely at Montpellier. The glider sustained significant damage during the encounter.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight paths of both aircraft and the visibility of the glider to the commercial crew. Investigators examined the cockpit voice recordings from the A320, which captured the crew's immediate reaction to seeing the glider and their subsequent discussions regarding the near-miss and the potential for a collision. The analysis also reviewed the flight parameters of the A320, including its descent rate, airspeed, and configuration changes (flaps and landing gear deployment) during the approach.
Findings
- The collision occurred while the A320 was descending through 4,000 feet.
- The crew of the Airbus A320 noticed the glider and performed evasive maneuvers, with the pilot noting that a turn in the correct direction helped avoid a more severe impact.
- One passenger on the A320 was reportedly shaken by the event, though no serious injuries were reported among the 162 passengers or the crew.
- The Grob G 103 was operating in the vicinity of the controlled airspace, and the investigation looked into the coordination between local glider flight centers and air traffic control.
- A critical factor in the event was the visual detection of the glider by the A320 crew during a high-workload phase of the approach.