What happened
On 29 August 2008, a Finnair Airbus A3/20, registration OH-LXD, was performing a scheduled flight from Helsinki to Oulu. During the visual approach to runway 30, the aircraft's airspeed decreased below the minimum speed required for its flight phase. The crew had been flying the approach using manual controls and autothrust, but the aircraft remained above the intended approach profile due to excessive speed.
To reduce the surplus altitude, the pilots requested and received permission from air traffic control to fly a circle. During this maneuver, the aircraft's angle of attack increased and the airspeed dropped sharply. The aircraft's Alpha-floor protection system activated, automatically increasing engine thrust to the Take-Off/Go-Around (TOGA) setting. This thrust increase restored sufficient airspeed, allowing the crew to stabilize the flight path and land safely on runway 30. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was at an altitude of just over 1,000 feet AGL. There were 161 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
The investigation
The investigation established that the aircraft and its systems functioned exactly as designed, preventing the situation from escalating into a more serious event. External conditions, including weather, were good and did not contribute to the incident. While the pilots did not demonstrate specific theoretical knowledge gaps, the investigators concluded that human factors played a significant role.
It was noted that the decision to disengage the autothrust and perform an unplanned circling maneuver had not been included in the initial approach briefing. Furthermore, although the airline had previously identified similar operational risks and distributed information circulars to Airbus pilots, some of these specific instructions and limitations had not yet been integrated into the official Flight Manual.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the improperly timed reduction of airspeed, which caused the aircraft to remain above the correct approach profile.
- The crew initiated a left turn and leveled the descent without applying the necessary thrust to maintain minimum speed.
- The unplanned execution of the circling maneuver and the disengagement of autothrust were not part of the approach briefing.
- The incident was exacerbated by the fact that the airline's safety circulars regarding identified risk factors were not fully incorporated into the Flight Manual (OM-B).
Safety action
- The airline is recommended to review the content and oversight of Airbus type and recurrent training to ensure that identified flight operation risk factors are sufficiently addressed.