Investigators Probe A320 Crash in France

Air Safety Week, Dec 8, 2008

Aviation accident investigators are in Perpignan, France probing the Nov. 27 accident in which an Airbus A320 (German registration D-AXLA) on approach to Runway 33 at Perpignan Rivesaltes airport (LFMP) crashed, killing all seven aboard.

The airliner was nearing the end of a two-hour maintenance checkout flight when it suddenly dove into the Mediterranean Sea seven kilometers from the coastline. The plane was slated to be returned to owner Air New Zealand after coming off lease to Germany's XL Airways.

The aircraft involved in the fatal accident held Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 2500, delivered in July 2005. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 7,000 flight hours in some 2,800 flight cycles. It was powered by IAE V2500 engines.

In line with international convention, Airbus is providing full technical assistance to authorities of France, who are responsible for the investigation into the accident. A team of five specialists from Airbus were dispatched to the watery crash site.

A firm in Perpignan had recently painted the aircraft in the ANZ livery, raising the possibility a static port or other sensor area may have been painted over or was masked off. But the aircraft flew without incident some two hours before it crashed into the sea. Investigators hope the cockpit voice and flight data recorders that have been recovered will provide clues on the fatal crash.

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