What happened
On June 22, 2003, at 21:51 UTC, a Bombardier CRJ-100, registration F-GRJS, operated by Brit Air, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Nantes to Brest Guipavas. The flight was operating under IFR conditions, navigating around thunderstorms in the area.
During the ILS approach to runway 26 Left, the aircraft began to drift progressively to the left of the localizer axis. The aircraft's descent path fluctuated, passing above and then below the glide slope. The aircraft eventually struck the ground approximately 2,350 meters from the runway threshold and 450 meters from the centerline. Upon impact, the aircraft struck several obstacles and caught fire.
The investigation
The BEA investigation examined the flight sequence, cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcripts, and flight data recorder (FDR) parameters. The investigation focused on the aircraft's deviation from the approach path, the crew's response to GPWS warnings, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, which included fog and low cloud ceilings.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in low visibility conditions with a cloud base of less than 100 feet.
- The aircraft deviated from the localizer axis and experienced unstable descent characteristics.
- The crew attempted a go-around after the pilot noted a lack of visibility ("I have nothing in front of me"), but the aircraft struck the ground shortly after the decision was made.
- The aircraft's flight path was characterized by multiple GPWS 'Glide slope' and 'Sink rate' warnings immediately preceding the impact.