What happened
On September 18, 1998, an Airbus A320-214, registration F-GRSH, operated by Star Airlines, was involved in a takeoff incident at Bastia-Poretta Airport. The flight, originally departing from Lille-Lesquin, was scheduled to continue to Palermo, Italy, via a commercial stop in Bastia.
The incident began during the initial loading process in Lille. Due to a misunderstanding of verbal instructions, ground staff placed baggage intended for the forward hold into the rear hold, and vice versa. This error went undetected because a visual verification of the holds was not performed by the ground agent due to time constraints caused by catering delays.
Upon arrival in Bastia, 32 passengers disembarked, and baggage destined for Bastia was removed. However, no new passengers were boarded, and no new cargo was loaded. During the departure from Bastia, the aircraft's actual center of gravity was significantly different from the calculated figures. As the crew applied takeoff power, the aircraft experienced an excessive nose-up pitch. The crew immediately aborted the takeoff, and the aircraft returned to its parking position after a heavy nose gear touchdown. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the discrepancy between the calculated weight and balance figures and the actual loading configuration. Investigators examined the loading procedures at both Lille and Bastia, as well as the communication between the ground handling agents and the flight crew.
It was established that the error originated in Lille, where the baggage placement was reversed. In Bastia, the ground handling agent (SATAB) provided only verbal instructions for unloading, and no written loading instructions were provided for the departure leg. Furthermore, the investigation found that the passenger distribution in the cabin was not in accordance with the loading manifest; while the manifest suggested a uniform distribution, the actual passengers were concentrated in the rear of the aircraft.
Findings
- The excessive pitch during takeoff was caused by the aircraft exceeding its aft center of gravity limit.
- A primary cause was the misplacement of baggage in the holds, which originated in Lille and was not identified during subsequent stops.
- The passenger distribution was non-compliant with the loading manifest, as passengers were clustered in the rear zones rather than being distributed uniformly as planned.
- A lack of systematic visual verification procedures by the ground handling companies at both airports allowed the loading errors to persist.
- The absence of formal written procedures for coordinating loading instructions between the ground handlers and the flight crew contributed to the oversight.
Safety action
- The BEA recommended that the DGAC ensure airline operating manuals specify the methods and principles used to verify that both hold loading and passenger distribution strictly match the weight and balance documentation.