Airbus Updates No.215

Accident: Windjet A319 at Palermo on Sep 24th 2010, touched down short of runway

By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, May 5th 2011 15:20Z, last updated Thursday, May 5th 2011 15:37Z The Italian ANSV said in their preliminary report that the captain was pilot flying with the first officer assuming the duties of the pilot monitoring. The aircraft had descended to 5000 feet on approach to Palermo when the crew requested to fly around cloud formations to the northwest of the airport before the initial approach fix of the VOR/DME approach runway 07, that the aircraft had been cleared for. The diversion from the approach track was authorized and the aircraft stabilized on the VOR/DME approach track and profile at about 6DME PRS. During the following descent the aircraft encountered a strong squall which reduced horizontal visibility. The aircraft impacted ground immediately before runway 25's end safety area (RESA), impacted the localizer antenna and continued on the runway 25 end safety area and runway 07 for about 850 meters before turning left off the runway and coming to a stop on soft ground to the left of the runway. The aircraft was immediately evacuated. A number of passengers and crew reported minor injuries. The aircraft received such substantial damage, that the aircraft may be irrecoverable. At 17:50Z Palermo's ATIS had reported winds from 060 degrees at 14 knots, visibility 4000 meters, moderate rain, cloud one to two octers ceiling 1800 feet, 3-4 octers ceiling 2200 feet, 5-7 octers ceiling 3000 feet, temperature 20 degrees C, dew point 18 degrees C, QNH 1000 hPa, windshear reported for runway 20. A windshear warning was active from 16:50Z to 17:50Z: moderate windshear of 20 knots reported by an A321 between 1500 and 300 feet AGL.

---

By Simon Hradecky, created Friday, Sep 24th 2010 19:27Z, last updated Thursday, May 5th 2011 15:21Z

A Windjet Airbus A319-100, registration EI-EDM performing flight IV-243 from Rome Fiumicino to Palermo (Italy) with 124 passengers and 6 crew, was performing a VOR approach to Palermo's runway 07 in thunderstorms and windshear at approximately 20:00L (18:00Z). The airplane touched down about 400 meters (1300 feet) short of the runway, impacted the localizer antenna for the ILS runway 25 embedding parts of the antenna in its nose and came to a stop left of the runway in the area of the intersection of runway 07/25 and 02/20 with both main gear struts collapsed, an evacuation via slides was initiated. Three passengers received minor injuries in the evacuation, the airplane received substantial damage. Italy's ANSV have launched an investigation. In the evening of Sep 25th the ANSV reported, that the airplane impacted ground violently short of the threshold of runway 07. The black boxes were retrieved from the aircraft. The airline reported, that the airplane encountered windshear causing it to veer off the runway. The aerodrome was closed for about 42 hours. After the aerodrome re-opened all ILS approaches to runway 25 were unavailable leaving the airport with non-precision approaches to runway 07/25. ILS approaches are available to runway 20 (length 2074 meters/6800 feet, width 45 meters/150 feet). At the time of the accident runway 07 (length 3326 meters/10900 feet, width 60 meters/200 feet) was in use. Only non-precision approaches are available to runway 07 (VOR). Local aviation sources reported, that the airplane touched down about 400 meters/1300 feet short of the runway (localizer antenna 300 meters/1000 feet before the runway threshold). The tower could not see the aircraft, believed the airplane had gone down into the sea and called coast guard. Tracks on the runway suggest, that the main gear was still intact before the aircraft veered left off runway 07 just after the intersection with runway 02/20. Metars: LICJ 241850Z 18010KT 4000 TSRA FEW018CB SCT020 BKN028 20/18 Q1001 RMK VIS MIN 4000 LICJ 241820Z 07006KT 4000 TSRA FEW018CB SCT022 BKN030 20/18 Q1000 LICJ 241750Z 06014KT 4000 TSRA FEW018CB SCT022 BKN030 20/18 Q1001 WS RWY 20 RMKVIS MIN 4000 LICJ 241720Z 14009KT 070V180 6000 TSRA FEW018CB SCT022 BKN030 21/16 Q1002 LICJ 241650Z 19017KT 4000 RA BR SCT022 BKN030 21/17 Q1002 WS RWY 20 Relevant NOTAMs: A5835/10 - AERODROME CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC. REF AIP AD 2 LICJ 1-1. 24 SEP 19:41 2010 UNTIL 24 SEP 23:00 2010 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 24 SEP 19:42 2010 A5838/10 - AERODROME CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC. REF AIP AD 2 LICJ 1-1. 24 SEP 21:34 2010 UNTIL 25 SEP 19:00 2010 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 24 SEP 21:35 2010 A5848/10 - AERODROME CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC. REF AIP AD 2 LICJ 1-1. 25 SEP 11:01 2010 UNTIL 26 SEP 12:00 2010 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 25 SEP 11:02 2010 A5855/10 - FOLLOWING INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE NOT AVAILABLE: - ILS-Z RWY25 - ILS-Y RWY25 - ILS-X RWY25 - ILS-W RWY25 ARRIVING TFC FOR RWY25 EXPECT TO PERFORM: VOR-Z OR VOR-Y AND CIRCLING RWY25. RMK: CIRCLING RWY25 ALLOWED ONLY NORTH OF THE FIELD REF AIP AD 2 LICJ 5-1. 26 SEP 10:40 2010 UNTIL 25 OCT 23:59 2010 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 26 SEP 10:41 2010 A5854/10 - LOCALIZER (ILS) RUNWAY 25 UNSERVICEABLE REF AIP AD 2 LICJ 1-8. 26 SEP 10:38 2010 UNTIL 25 OCT 23:59 2010 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 26 SEP 10:39 2010