A320 ditches into sea near Perpignan

DG AIR · Post by **DG AIR** » 27 Nov 2008, 17:54

according airliners.net a A320 ditches into the sea near Perpignan.

Seems to be a training flight. So far no more info.

Gr.

Ger

SPL · Post by **SPL** » 27 Nov 2008, 18:48

According airlines.net it is D-AXLA, this is ex-ZK-OJL. Airbus 320 with c/n 2500.

Groeten Martijn

worldliner · Post by **worldliner** » 27 Nov 2008, 18:48

One body has been found according to "French media".

Plane should have already crashed at 4:30PM (FOXnews)
CNN reports that the plane (an Air New Zeeland A320) took of from Perpignan for a testflight and no survivers have been found so far.

It is not clear if there were 5 or 7 people on board the aircraft.

flying_kiwi · Post by **flying_kiwi** » 27 Nov 2008, 19:15

SPL wrote:According airlines.net it is D-AXLA, this is ex-ZK-OJL. Airbus 320 with c/n 2500.

Ah ==censored==, we'd been asked to ferry this aircraft back to New Zealand for them, but they had decided to do it themselves.
I hope none of my contacts at NZ were on board.

Yorden

worldliner · Post by **worldliner** » 27 Nov 2008, 19:22

"Air New Zealand says it knows nothing about it at this stage" - http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2338015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

flying_kiwi · Post by **flying_kiwi** » 27 Nov 2008, 19:25

worldliner wrote:"Air New Zealand says it knows nothing about it at this stage" - http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2338015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's to be expected, its 0730 there at the moment, and the media probably got someone low down on the food chain in the ANZ PR department.

Yorden

patrick@tediek.com · Post by **patrick@tediek.com** » 27 Nov 2008, 20:23

Ah ==censored==, we'd been asked to ferry this aircraft back to New Zealand for them, but they had decided to do it themselves.
I hope none of my contacts at NZ were on board.

Was this a ferry flight? or was it on schedule in the next few days?

Would this be a W/O for air new zealand?

RIP all pax/crew on board.

cHabu · Post by **cHabu** » 27 Nov 2008, 20:29

Air New Zealand test flight crashes into Mediterranean.

An Air New Zealand passenger jet has plunged into the Mediterranean off the French coast during a test flight, killing seven people on board.

The Airbus A320 was seen flying low over the sea shortly before the crash near Canet-en-Roussillon, just north of the border with Spain.
It had taken off from the southwestern French town of Perpignan on a test flight after undergoing "routine" maintenance.

Five New Zealanders and two Germans, all technicians, were on board.

The damaged fuselage of the plane was quickly located and one body recovered at sea.

The cause of the crash is unknown.

Credit: Henry Samuel in Paris / www.telegraph.co.uk

Note: D-AXLA on a pre-delivery flight before going to Freedom New Zealand.

Bye, Chris.

cHabu · Post by **cHabu** » 27 Nov 2008, 20:34

Airbus jet crashes in test flight.

One person has been killed and six are missing after an Airbus A320 aircraft crashed during a test flight after maintenance work, officials have said.

The plane went into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of France near Perpignan with seven people on board.

One body has been recovered and search aircraft and ships are looking for the missing people.

The plane's fuselage has been located, a French rescue official told the Associated Press news agency.

The plane was last owned by XL Germany and was being returned to an aircraft leasing company.

XL Germany said there were two flight crew from XL Germany and 3-5 engineers on board.

The plane was undergoing maintenance checks at Perpignan airport.

Credit: BBC news.

Bye, Chris.

aviodromefriend · Post by **aviodromefriend** » 27 Nov 2008, 20:45

worldliner wrote:It is not clear if there were 5 or 7 people on board the aircraft.

Thought the number of persons on board had to be communicated to ATC at first contact since the belgian Herc at EHEH in '96. How can there be any misunderstanding about this?

skycruiser · Post by **skycruiser** » 27 Nov 2008, 20:53

aviodromefriend wrote:
worldliner wrote:It is not clear if there were 5 or 7 people on board the aircraft.
Thought the number of persons on board had to be communicated to ATC at first contact since the belgian Herc at EHEH in '96. How can there be any misunderstanding about this?

An ATC flightplan indicates the number of persons on board at the moment that the flightplan was filed. Although, that number might differ from the actual figures on board at the moment of departure of the flight.

Rgds
Eric

flying_kiwi · Post by **flying_kiwi** » 27 Nov 2008, 21:55

patrick@tediek.com wrote:Was this a ferry flight? or was it on schedule in the next few days?

Would this be a W/O for air new zealand?

RIP all pax/crew on board.

Post maintenance testflight. The aircraft was going to continue to Frankfurt for handover to ANZ.
Air New Zealand just held a press conference and stated that there were 7 on board, 2 pilots from XL Airways, one senior pilot from ANZ, three engineers from ANZ, and one inspector from the New Zealand CAA.
My condolences go out to the families and colleagues of those involved.

Yorden

aviodromefriend · Post by **aviodromefriend** » 27 Nov 2008, 22:27

skycruiser wrote:An ATC flightplan indicates the number of persons on board at the moment that the flightplan was filed.

I don't refer to a flightplan. I refer to what the crew is to tell ATC by mouth through the radio, when the doors are closed, so the actual number is known (and if they don't do that, they got asked "request POB").

flying_kiwi · Post by **flying_kiwi** » 27 Nov 2008, 23:02

aviodromefriend wrote:
skycruiser wrote:An ATC flightplan indicates the number of persons on board at the moment that the flightplan was filed.
I don't refer to a flightplan. I refer to what the crew is to tell ATC by mouth through the radio, when the doors are closed, so the actual number is known (and if they don't do that, they got asked "request POB").

It's not always a requirement. According to the Dutch AIP, AMS, RTM and MST don't require POB info, whereas EIN does.
In this case Perpignan does not have any requirement listed to report POB on first contact with ATC.

Regards,
Yorden

phkza · Post by **phkza** » 27 Nov 2008, 23:18

This is very, very sad news. My condolences to the people who are left behind.

I'm curious what the cause is, as the plane is just over 3 years old. Hopefully they'll find the rest of the crew alive, but I fear the worst...