What happened
On August 8, 2011, an Air France Airbus A320, registration F-GRXC, was operating flight AFR1896 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Casablanca Mohammed V Airport. During the arrival phase, the crew requested a visual approach after reporting they were in sight of the airport installations. Air Traffic Control (ATC) approved the request and instructed the aircraft to proceed to the final for runway 35L.
After contacting the Tower, the crew confirmed they were on final for runway 35L and received landing clearance. However, at 08:24 UTC, another aircraft on frequency notified the tower that the Air France flight had actually landed on runway 35R. The crew subsequently acknowledged the error, stating they had mistakenly used the wrong runway during their visual approach.
The investigation
The Moroccan investigation examined the communications between the flight crew and ATC, as well as the cockpit resource management (CRM) utilized during the approach. The board reviewed the aircraft's flight path, noting that the aircraft was high and fast relative to the nominal approach trajectory.
Investigators also looked into the airport configuration at Casablanca Mohammed V, noting a known risk of runway confusion between 35L and 35R, as well as confusion between runways and taxiways. The investigation noted that the crew's arrival briefing did not account for the possibility of a visual approach, and the transition to a visual strategy was not properly addressed during the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was runway confusion by the crew during a visual approach.
- The crew failed to consider the possibility of a visual approach during their arrival briefing.
- There was inappropriate management of Cockpit Resource Management (CRM).
- The aircraft deviated from the nominal approach trajectory, appearing high and fast.
- The airport configuration at Casablanca presents inherent risks regarding runway and taxiway identification.
- The commander did not follow company procedures for serious incidents, which hindered the timely preservation of flight recorder data.