Air Canada Flight 624
A constant descent angle did not keep the aircraft on the intended approach path.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Causes
Automation and sensing in airline accidents
Official investigators identified automation and sensing in 6 of the incidents we cover, from 1993 to 2015. Each account explains how it arose in that case. A shared topic does not mean the same cause.
Last updated
| Date | Flight | Aircraft | Location | Fatalities | Report status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 March 2015 | Air Canada Flight 624 | Airbus A320-211 | Halifax Stanfield, approach to Runway 05 | No fatalities | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 1 June 2009 | Air France Flight 447 | Airbus A330-203 | Atlantic Ocean, international waters near TASIL | 228 fatalities; no survivors | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 7 October 2008 | Qantas Flight 72 | Airbus A330-303 | Indian Ocean, 154 km west of Learmonth, Western Australia | 0 | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 17 January 2008 | British Airways Flight 38 | Boeing 777-236ER | London Heathrow, short of Runway 27L | No fatalities | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 24 August 2001 | Air Transat Flight 236 | Airbus A330-243 | Lajes, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal | 0 | LEVEL 3 Final report |
| 14 September 1993 | Lufthansa Flight 2904 | Airbus A320-211 | Warsaw Okecie, Runway 11 | Two fatalities | LEVEL 3 Final report |
Air France Flight 447
An airspeed inconsistency became a loss of control that the crew never recovered from.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Qantas Flight 72
Incorrect sensor-unit data met a flight-control design limitation, causing two sudden pitch-downs and serious cabin injuries.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
British Airways Flight 38
Ice in the fuel system restricted thrust from both engines during the final approach to Heathrow.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Air Transat Flight 236
A maintenance-induced fuel leak emptied an A330 over the Atlantic. The crew glided to Lajes, where all 306 occupants survived.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report
Lufthansa Flight 2904
A late touchdown and delayed deceleration left too little runway to stop.
Incident date:
LEVEL 3 Final report