What happened
During an approach to DUDOK, the aircraft was unable to maintain the required descent profile, resulting in a high-energy state. The flight crew maintained a speed of 250 kt prior to the final turn, which delayed the necessary configuration of the aircraft. To compensate for the high profile and speed, the crew had to intercept the glideslope from above, a process that required significant focus on speed reduction and configuration.
As the aircraft descended through 1,800 ft, the crew selected a missed approach altitude of 3,000 ft. During this process, the altitude selector was pulled, which inadvertently triggered a mode change to open climb. This change caused the auto-thrust system to increase engine thrust, an event that went unnoticed by the crew. This undetected acceleration further destabilized the approach and led to an initial flap overspeed.
Recognizing that the stable approach criteria could not be met, the captain initiated a go-around. However, the crew did not follow standard operating procedures during the transition. The sequence of actions was delayed or performed out of order. Because the pilot flying did not increase the pitch to the expected nose-up attitude, the aircraft accelerated more rapidly than anticipated. This rapid acceleration left insufficient time to retract the flaps and landing gear before they exceeded their operational limits.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the mode change and the subsequent execution of the go-around. Investigators examined the flight control unit (FCU) interactions and the crew's management of the aircraft's energy state. The inquiry also looked into the crew's adherence to standard operating procedures during the high-workload phase of the go-around and the impact of the cockpit environment on the captain's decision to intervene.