What happened
During the takeoff roll of an Airbus A320, the aircraft's stick shaker activated immediately after leaving the ground. The first officer, who was acting as the pilot flying at the time, believed the aircraft was entering a stall and verbally signaled the captain to take over. Upon assuming control, the captain reduced thrust and initiated an emergency landing. To prevent a collision with a barrier located at the runway's end, the captain utilized maximum braking and full reverse thrust, eventually steering the aircraft off the runway.
All 292 occupants were successfully rescued from the aircraft. Among the passengers and crew, 10 injuries were reported, with one individual sustaining serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the incident identified a system design deficiency involving an angle of attack (AOA) sensor. This specific sensor had malfunctioned on nine prior occasions; however, following previous inspections, it had been returned to service without a definitive resolution regarding the cause of its intermittent failures. This faulty sensor provided erroneous data that triggered the false stall warning. Additionally, the crew's response was impacted by a lack of proper coordination during the transfer of control, as the first officer's perception of the stall led to an uncoordinated handoff to the captain.