Incident Overview
On 21 August 2011 at 03:15 UTC, an Airbus A330-243, registration OD-MEA, operating Middle East Airlines flight MEA 575 from Beirut to Abidjan, was conducting an ILS approach for landing on Runway 21 at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The aircraft carried 245 persons on board: 12 crew members (including 2 flight crew) and 233 passengers.
Sequence of Events
During the final approach, the commander (pilot flying) reported the runway in sight and was cleared to land. The first officer (pilot not flying) noticed the aircraft was approaching the runway edge lights on his side and suddenly asked the commander to turn left. The commander acted accordingly.
At touchdown, the commander initiated a go-around. The main landing gear exited the runway on the left side and rolled on the embankment beyond the limits of Runway 21. Subsequently, the commander informed the tower controller that visibility on the runway was zero.
After holding for 14 minutes at an altitude of 2,700 ft, the crew was informed that the weather trend was not improving.
Aftermath
The incident was investigated by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) of Côte d'Ivoire. The report did not specify any injuries or fatalities.