What happened
On 19 April 2023, an Airbus Canada, A220-300, registered as YL-ABM, was operating a scheduled flight from Zurich Airport to Brussels Airport. While flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), the aircraft was established on the inbound radial of the VOR APP 07L approach. During the descent, the crew began descending below 2,000 feet before reaching the Final Approach Fix (FAF). Upon reaching an altitude of 1,000 feet, just prior to the FAF, the crew identified the altitude deviation and subsequently initiated a missed approach procedure. The incident occurred under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).
The investigation
The investigation into the event was conducted by the Belgium Air Accident Investigation Unit. The review of flight recordings established the sequence of the descent and the timing of the crew's recognition of the altitude error. The investigation focused on the deviation from the prescribed descent profile relative to the Final Approach Fix.