What happened
On August 28, 1999, an Air France Boeing 737-528, registration F-GJNF, departed Berlin for Paris Charles de Gaulle. While initial weather forecasts were favorable, heavy fog developed at the destination airport during the flight, significantly reducing visibility.
At 06:25 UTC, Paris Control instructed the crew to enter the ATRIX holding pattern. When the crew requested an estimated approach time, they were informed the delay would be "quite long." Lacking a specific time, the crew decided to use their contingency reserves for holding. As the aircraft moved to the BOURSONNE holding sector, the crew notified controllers of a "minimum fuel" status at 07:12 UTC, later warning that the situation would escalate to a "low fuel MAYDAY" prior to landing.
During the approach to runway 08 Right, the crew was instructed to reduce speed to minimum. At 07:47 UTC, the tower queried if the aircraft was in a MAYDAY state, to which the crew confirmed. The aircraft performed a CAT III approach and landed at 07:54 UTC. Upon arrival at the parking stand, it was discovered that only 700 kg of fuel remained in the tanks.
The investigation
The BEA investigation examined the sequence of communications between the flight crew and air traffic controllers, the meteorological conditions at Charles de Gaulle, and the operational decisions made by the crew. The investigation also reviewed the impact of ongoing runway construction at the airport, which had altered localizer positions and operational minimums. Furthermore, the investigators analyzed the handling of multiple aircraft in the holding patterns, noting that several other flights were also experiencing significant delays and requesting approach times without success.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the prolonged holding time necessitated by deteriorating visibility caused by fog.
- The crew's decision to use contingency reserves for holding, combined with the lack of a confirmed expected approach time, led to the critical fuel state.
- Air traffic controllers were unable to provide specific approach times due to the unpredictable nature of the weather and the high volume of traffic in the holding sectors.
- The presence of ongoing airport construction work had modified the operational minimums for the runways, complicating the arrival process during low visibility.