Beech 1900D Incident Near Angoulême on 4 July 2006 (F-GTVC)

Overview and Flight Details On 4 July 2006, Twin Jet operated flight TJT 5516, a scheduled passenger service from Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LFLL) to Angoulême Brie Champniers (LFBU), using a Beech 1900D registered F-GTVC. The aircraft carried two pilots and 15 passengers. The flight departed on time at 18:40 UTC and was intended to continue to Angoulême under a direct route approved by air traffic control. ## Approach and Go-Around The aircraft began its final approach to Angoulême at 19:42 UTC. A very active thunderstorm cell from the southwest reached the aerodrome, causing rapidly changing winds and moderate turbulence. The AFIS agent reported a lightning strike on the field. With crosswind exceeding the aircraft’s landing limitation and continued turbulence, the captain decided to go around at 19:46 UTC at approximately 810 ft, about 400 ft above the aerodrome. The crew deviated from the published missed-approach path to avoid the storm cell and climbed toward 5,000 ft. ## Turbulence and Diversion While holding northeast of Angoulême in clear air, the aircraft entered a zone of strong turbulence for about two and a half minutes after 20:00 UTC. During this period, indicated airspeed varied between 160 kt and 250 kt, vertical load factor ranged from -0.3 g to +1.9 g, and the aircraft remained within its certified flight envelope. After stabilizing, the crew assessed the weather and found that Limoges Bellegarde offered better conditions. The aircraft diverted to Limoges and landed on runway 21 at 20:20 UTC. ## Investigation Findings The BEA report stated that the rapid movement of the active thunderstorm cell had been clearly underestimated in both the information provided and its operational consideration. The crew’s decision to interrupt the approach and position the aircraft in a clear area was followed by the storm catching up, producing strong turbulence without the aircraft leaving its flight envelope. The diversion to Limoges was completed in good conditions, with no injuries or damage reported.