Event Summary
On 22 September 2023 at 03:09 UTC, an Airbus A320-251N, registration SU-BUY, operated by Air Cairo as flight MSC 1042, began taxiing from stand 12 at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (HESH) for a positioning flight to Cairo International Airport (HECA). The flight had two cockpit crew members and one flight attendant on board, with no passengers.
At 03:09 UTC, the aircraft was cleared to taxi via taxiway A and hold short of Runway 04L. At 03:11, the crew requested to enter Runway 04L at intersection B, and air traffic control cleared the aircraft for an immediate take-off via that intersection at 03:12 UTC.
As the nose wheels entered the runway, the captain advanced the thrust levers forward quickly, exceeding the engine stabilization value. This action caused the aircraft to veer to the right of the runway centerline, crossing the right-hand side stripes of Runway 04L.
In response, the captain reduced both engines to idle and applied the brakes to return to the runway centerline. The aircraft vacated the runway to the left via exit C, as recorded by the flight data recorder's latitude and longitude data.
At 03:14 UTC, ATC inquired about the reason for the aborted take-off. The captain reported a technical or configuration problem. Subsequently, the aircraft performed a normal take-off from taxiway Alpha using the full runway length, continued to Cairo, and landed uneventfully.
Investigation
The Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Directorate opened an investigation classified as an incident. Activities included creating a photographic record, reading out all available data from the flight data recorder, and interviewing the flight crew. No recommendations have been issued as of the interim statement. The investigation is proceeding toward a final report.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained minor damage. There were no injuries among the two cockpit crew members or the flight attendant.