History of the Flight
On 13 December 2011, an Air France Airbus A319 (registration F-GRHS) operated flight AF2511 from Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle. The captain, acting as pilot flying (PF), and a copilot as pilot monitoring (PM) conducted the flight. The flight took off at 06:26 UTC and cruise at FL380 with autopilot 1 engaged. At 07:09, the crew began descent for an ILS approach to runway 27R, conducted in daytime under IMC conditions.
The approach was flown with autopilot, flight directors, and autothrust engaged, with speed in selected mode. Due to the forecast turbulent wind (220°/29 kt, gusts to 37 kt), the crew selected configuration 3 for landing. At 07:37:43, established on the localizer, they selected configuration 1, then configuration 2 one minute 30 seconds later. At 07:40:40, about 14 NM from the threshold, the aircraft was established on the glide slope.
After descending through 3,500 ft QNH, turbulent wind conditions caused aircraft roll, increasing progressively to 5° left and 4° right by 07:42:30. The angle of attack varied between 0.5° and 2.5° pitch up. Automated systems moved ailerons and elevator to counter oscillations, with relatively low control movement amplitude.
At 07:42:43, at 3,500 ft QNH and heading 255° (11° right deviation), the PF disengaged autothrust and autopilot, continuing manually. The controller cleared them to land for runway 27R, reporting wind from 220° at 25 kt with gusts to 38 kt. After autopilot disengagement, the PF's sidestick showed significant roll and pitch inputs until touchdown, varying between maximum deflections left and right (-20° to +20°). The aircraft remained on the localizer axis while slope oscillated between 6° left and 6.5° right. Pitch inputs ranged from 14° pitch up to 8° pitch down, with angle of attack between 1° pitch down and 6.5° pitch up. The aircraft oscillated around the glide path by 3°, with maximum deviations of about 80 ft below and 110 ft above. Drift angle varied between 10° and 15° with the nose left of the localizer axis.
At 07:44:25, the crew extended landing gear and selected configuration 3 below 2,000 ft QNH, then changed speed to managed mode. At 07:45:41, descending through 1,000 ft radio altimeter, the flight path was stabilized at 154 kt (Vapp target 149 kt), vertical speed -750 ft/min, heading 252°, drift 15° right, wind about 210°/45 kt (lateral component 23 kt, gusts 41 kt). At 07:45:47, indicated airspeed was 165 kt, 15 kt above Vapp target (150 kt).
At 07:46:16, at 500 ft radio altimeter, the aircraft was nearly on the glide path (-0.2 point) at 148 kt (Vapp target 141 kt), vertical speed -700 ft/min, wind about 205°/35 kt. At 07:46:43, at 200 ft radio altimeter (minima), the aircraft was slightly below glide path (-0.3 point) at 141 kt (Vapp target 138 kt), vertical speed -600 ft/min, heading 253°, drift 11° right, wind 34 kt from about 194°.
At 07:46:47, at 150 ft radio altimeter, the aircraft was below glide path (-0.7 point) with vertical speed -750 ft/min, angle of attack +2.5°, indicated airspeed 151 kt (Vapp target 138 kt, Vapp+13 kt). The PF made a pitch up input (to ¾ stop), angle of attack increased, and vertical speed decreased. At 07:46:51, at 110 ft radio altimeter on glide path, vertical speed -375 ft/min, angle of attack +3.5°, the PF made a pitch down input, increasing vertical speed.
At 07:46:53, at 90 ft, indicated airspeed 159 kt (Vapp+21 kt), above glide path (+0.4 point), angle of attack +1.1°, vertical speed -800 ft/min, heading 257°, drift 8° right, wind about 190°/26 kt. At 07:46:57, at 25 ft, indicated airspeed 152 kt (Vapp target 138 kt), bank 7° left, angle of attack +2.1°. The PF made two successive pitch down inputs (¼ then at 20 ft at 1/3 stop), decreasing angle of attack to 0.4° pitch up. Wind about 190°/25 kt.
At about 20 ft, before the flare, the aircraft moved from 3° right bank to 7° left bank. The PF made a roll input to the right stop. Thrust levers moved slightly back without reaching IDLE. At 07:46:58, the flare was started at 15 ft radio altimeter at 155 kt (Vapp+17 kt), angle of attack +0.4°, bank 4° left. The PF started the flare, positioning sidestick to pitch up stop and right stop with rudder bar to the right in midway. The PM also positioned his sidestick pitch up slightly more than halfway. Thrust levers moved slightly forward.
At 07:46:59, the main landing gear touched the runway with a vertical load factor of 2.66 g, angle of attack +3.5°, bank 2.5° right, vertical speed about -800 ft/min. The PF then made a pitch down input to stop while the PM stopped his pitch up input. At 07:47:00, thrust levers selected TOGA, then one second later SRS mode engaged, then thrust levers to IDLE. Spoilers extended, and thrust reversers activated at 07:47:06. At about 07:48, during taxi, the crew informed the controller of a "very hard" touchdown.
Damage to Aircraft
The main left and right landing gear units were replaced.
Weight and Balance
Weight and balance were within limits. Landing weight recorded was about 60.4 t (MLW 61 t).
Personnel Information
The captain, aged 44, had about 10,000 total flying hours, including about 2,700 on type. He began his career with the airline in 1992, flying Boeing 737 and 777, obtained A320 type rating in March 2007, and was appointed captain in June 2007. The copilot, aged 25, had about 2,100 total flying hours, with about 1,660 on type. He began his career in 2008 and obtained A320 type rating in August 2008.
Meteorological Information
The METAR at 07:30 reported wind 200°/26 kt gusts 38 kt, visibility 8 km, broken clouds at 1,000 ft, temperature 10°C, dew point 9°C, QNH 997 hPa, with TEMPO 210°/25 kt gusts 45 kt. The ATIS R message at 07:34 indicated ILS approach to runway 27R, wet runway, wind 220°/29 kt gusts 37 kt, visibility 8 km, light rain, BKN at 1,000 ft.
Wind data recorded between 3,600 ft and 150 ft showed variable direction 232° to 217° and speed 71 to 27 kt. On average, the aircraft encountered 37 kt headwind and 32 kt left lateral wind. Airbus recalculated components using ground speed and airspeed vectors.
Probable Cause
The report states: "Approach with strong turbulent lateral wind, destabilization below 200 ft, late flare and hard landing."