What happened
On May 25, 2001, an Air France Airbus A300-311, registration F-GLZC, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Paris-Orly to Cayenne-Rochambeau. During the final approach for runway 08 using ILS, the aircraft encountered heavy rain and significant weather activity.
As the aircraft descended through approximately 250 feet, it entered a strong thunderstorm cell. The pilot flying (PF) noticed the aircraft beginning to sink, and the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) issued a "SINK RATE" alert. In response to the sudden loss of altitude, the PF applied a limited pitch-up command but simultaneously retarded the thrust levers to the idle position. The pilot non-flying (PNF) immediately advanced the thrust levers to increase power, but the aircraft's descent rate increased toward 1,000 ft/min.
The aircraft struck the runway approximately 30 meters before the threshold with a high vertical acceleration of 2.17 g. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce, and the subsequent touchdown occurred roughly 500 meters further down the runway, with the left main gear landing off the paved surface. There were no fatalities or injuries among the 205 passengers and 10 crew members on board.
The investigation
The BEA examined flight data from the FDR and CVR, as well as ground traces at the aerodrome. The investigation focused on the aircraft's performance during the windshear event, the crew's management of thrust and pitch, and the effectiveness of the onboard warning systems. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's automation modes, specifically the interaction between the autothrust system and manual thrust interventions during the flare.