SIMON WARBURTON / PARIS
Crash happened because the aircrew did not understand English/French instructions
A May 2000 fatal runway incursion at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport was caused by an incorrect air traffic control (ATC) clearance, and a British crew's confusion because of the use of mixed English/French ATC instructions, according to the Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents (BEA). The Bureau has recommended that the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) should consider only using English for ATC at its major international airports.
In the 25 May accident, a Streamline Aviation Shorts 330 freighter entered runway 27 at the same time as an Air Liberte Boeing MD-83, with 162 people on board, was taking off on the same runway. The MD-83's left wingtip hit the right side of the smaller aircraft's cockpit and the 330 co-pilot was killed.
The BEA report says the main problem lay with the controller, who had cleared the MD-83 to line up as number one after a Boeing 737 on final approach had landed. The Shorts 330 was cleared as number two, and he believed it was queueing behind the MD-83 at the runway 27 threshold, and its crew could see the other aircraft. But in fact the 330 was approaching intersection 16 to runway 27, to commence its take-off about 1,000m along the 3,600m runway.
After the 737 had landed the tower controller, speaking in French, cleared the MD-83 for take-off and it began to roll. The 330 pilots heard the clearance to the Air Liberte aircraft but did not understand it, according to the BEA, and they also saw the landing 737 pass in front of them and turn off the runway. At Intersection 16 the acuteness of the taxiway intersection angle relative to the runway made it difficult for the 330 crew to see any aircraft at the threshold.
At that point, according to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), the 330 captain displays confusion by asking his co-pilot twice "Where is the number one [the aircraft cleared to take off first]?" Eight seconds of silence was followed by the sound of the MD-83's left wing impacting the 330's cockpit. The CVR reveals that the Air Liberte captain - near the point of rotation - saw the 330 some 3-4sec before impact. He aborted the take-off.
The BEA and the UK investigation observer have recommended that a study be made about adopting English as the standard language at CDG and large airports with heavy international traffic.
Source: Flight International
