What happened
On June 5, 2008, at approximately 18:30 local time, an Airbus A319 operated by a German airline was on descent toward Munich. The flight had departed from Bremen at 17:53 with 128 passengers and five crew members.
About eight minutes before landing, the crew observed two cumulus clouds on the navigation display, flanking the flight path. Approximately 3 nautical miles before reaching the "LANDU" waypoint, the aircraft encountered intense vertical accelerations. While the passengers remained secured in their seats, the cabin crew were still performing cabin securement duties. During the turbulence, a flight attendant in the aft galley struck her head against the ceiling, causing a brief loss of consciousness. The aircraft landed safely in Munich, and the injured crew member was transported to a hospital, where she was treated and later released.
The investigation
The BFU analyzed the flight data recorder (FDR) to determine the physical forces acting on the aircraft. The investigation also reviewed meteorological data from the German Weather Service (DWD) and radar imagery from the Munich weather radar station.
Findings
- The aircraft encountered severe turbulence characterized by vertical acceleration values ranging from +1.51 g to -0.15 g.
- Meteorological conditions in southern Germany were influenced by a low-pressure system over the Alps, creating unstable air masses. This led to the development of showers and thunderstorms across the region.
- Radar imagery from 18:27 and 18:42 confirmed the presence of strong to intense convective precipitation echoes north of Landshut, associated with high-reaching convective clouds.