20 January 1992 - Air Inter 5148
Air Inter Flight 5148 was a scheduled airline flight on January 20, 1992, that crashed in the Vosges Mountains, near Mont Sainte-Odile, while circling to land at Strasbourg Airport. 87 of the 96 onboard were killed.
Flight 5148 departed Satolas Airport (now known as Saint-Exupéry International Airport) in Lyon, France, at 5:20pm. While being vectored for a VOR DME Approach to Runway 05 at Strasbourg, it crashed in the mountains at a height of only 2600 feet. The pilots had no warning of the imminent impact since the aircraft was not fitted with GPWS.
Flight 5148 was the third of a series of crashes caused by what was believed to be pilots unfamiliarity with the sophisticated computer system of the Airbus A320. (See Air France Flight 296 and Indian Airlines Flight 605.) It is believed the cause of the crash is that the pilots inadvertently left the autopilot in Vertical Speed mode (instead of Flight Path Angle mode) and then entered "33" for "3.3° descent angle"--which was actually interpreted as a rate of descent of 3,300 feet per minute.
Transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
| CTRL = Strasbourg ATC PF = Captain (Pilot Flying) PNF = First Officer (Pilot Non-Flying)
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| Source | Contents |
| PNF | I don't understand why you do not try a zero-five VOR DME after all |
| PF | Because the zero five VOR DME, we've got to arrive here, leave, go to God knows where, and come back again (*) |
| PNF | Ah, yes, OK |
| PF | If not, it's necessary to go out to 11 STR, that makes eleven, 22 miles means another 10 minutes' flight (*) (*) |
| PNF | Sierra Echo identified |
| PF | I'v set you the return track to STR eh, ... zero-five-zero |
| PNF | OK |
| PF | We'll do the pre-descent procedure |
| PNF | (*) |
| PF | I doesn't matter |
| PNF | I'm ready |
| PF | Pre-descend checklist |
| PNF | ECAM status checked. Speed bugs |
| PF | They are set |
| PNF | Standby altimeter |
| PF | One thousand and twenty-three |
| PNF | One thousand and twenty-three, altimeter (*) checked. Engine anti-ice |
| PF | To OFF |
| PNF | FMGS parameters inserted and the harnesses |
| PF | (*) |
| PNF | Checklist completed. We descend in one minute, it's OK? |
| PF | In one-and-a-half minutes, two minutes, we've enough time |
| PNF | Air Inter one four eight Delta Alpha we'd like to descend in one minute |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha descend level one hundred thrity |
| PNF | To one hundred thrity, we'll descend Delta Alpha |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha heading to ANDLO |
| PNF | Heading to ANDLO correct? |
| CTRL | Affirmative |
| PF | To? |
| PNF | ANDLO |
| PF | ANDLO, oh there, they are a nuisance (*) |
| CTRL | Air Inter Delta Alpha what's your heading to ANDLO? |
| PNF | Our heading is zero fifty three to ANDLO |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha, maintain heading zero fifty-three until further advised |
| PNF | We'll maintain until further advised. Ah, I say, Reims, their control there (*) that one goes to Epinal |
| CTRL | Air Inter Delta Alpha continue descent to level seventy |
| PNF | Continuing descent to seventy Delta Alpha |
| PF | There we're of. Idle open |
| PNF | Idle open descent |
| CA | Ladies and gentlemen, we are starting our descent. We ask you to please return to your seats. Thank you |
| CTRL | Air Inter Delta Alpha the level on descent |
| PNF | (*) one fifty descending to seventy Delta Alpha |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha received, no more restrictions on heading, contact Strasbourg one twenty dot seven. Goodbye |
| PNF | No more restrictions on heading one twenty seven, Strasbourg approach, good day. Air inter one hundred forty-eight Delta Alpha |
| CTRL | One hundred forty-eight Delta Alpha, good day. Proceed to ANDLO. Your distance? |
| PF | (*) |
| PNF | Yes ANDLO, and we are at twenty-two nautical DME from STR |
| CTRL | Received, continue the descent to five thousand feet QNH one thousand twenty-three call ANDLO five thousand feet |
| PNF | Five thousand feet, thousand twenty-three, we'll call ANDLO five thousand |
| PNF | There one thousand... |
| PF | And sixty (*). |
| PF | Safety height twenty-two. OK it's alright... five thousand two hundred feet ... twenty one ... OK it's good. |
| PNF | (*) |
| PF | One thousand and five ... we'll do the procedure at two thousand ... initial approach (*) eleven thousand twohundred feet now. |
| PNF | OK. |
| PF | TOP |
| PNF | No. Eleven thousand feet, one thousand five..one thousand five not one thousand eight |
| PF | Yes it's one thousand eight |
| PNF | One thousand twenty-three that makesone thousand five. |
| PF | One thousand five? |
| PNF | For Delta Alpha, you confirm Fox Echo one thousand five, zero five correct? |
| CTRL | The Fox Echo is one thousand five, zero five and QNH one thousand twenty-three |
| PNF | Thank you Sir. One thousand five. Ten thousand four hundred... |
| PF | Ten thousand four hundred feet ready, now |
| PNF | It's correct. it's OK. Checklist initial approach Baro ref altimeters set compared. Seatbelts ON. |
| PF | It's set |
| PNF | Engine anti-ice OFF for the moment (*) |
| PF | No |
| PNF | Marker selected to listen on righthand side. Engine mode selector set to normal. Checklist completed |
| PF | We're passing ANDLO |
| PNF | We're passing ANDLO, Air Inter Delta Alpha, level ... er! Sorry seven thousand five hundred feet, descending. |
| CTRL | Received one hundred forty-eight Delta Alpha, you are number one for te VOR DME zero five, call passing the VOR in final |
| PNF | Number one for the VOR DME zero five |
| PNF | We could ask him to confirm the cloud base now... how many miles? |
| PF | Ten miles. It's not going to work, tell him, we'll make a ... |
| PNF | Yes, 'maxi maxi'. Confirm cloud base Strasbourg? |
| CTRL | We have three-eighths at elevenhundred feet and six-eighths at two thousand six hundred feet |
| PF | That's good |
| PNF | Yeah, we planned to proceed Sierra Echo, do an ILS, then an indirect for zero five. |
| PF | [Chime] (*) |
| CTRL | Received Delta Alpha |
| PF | What's the temperature? |
| PNF | The temperature...? |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha, initially maintain five thousand, QNH, one thousand twenty three and as there will be three takeoffs on zero five, you may have to hold in the stack at five thousand feet. |
| PF | We'll have to go back to doing a VOR DME procedure ... then ... |
| PNF | We'll go back to the VOR DME procedure at this time then |
| CTRL | OK |
| PF | We would not have made an India Mike descent like that of they had told us beforehand, but there we are, we're arriving flat out |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha ... Strasbourg |
| PNF | I'm listening to you |
| CTRL | If you want I can take you on the radar to bring ou to ANDLO at five thousand |
| PF | Er! Yeah, that's good |
| PNF | Yes |
| CTRL | OK! Then six one zero zero, turn left heading two hundred thirty |
| PNF | Sixty-one zero zero and heading two hundred thirty to the left |
| CTRL | There you are, that will save you time |
| PF | (*) |
| PNF | Thank you |
| ? | I'll give you zero five (*) |
| CTRL | Maintain five thousand on reaching it and until ANDLO, the QNH is one thousand twenty three |
| PNF | QNH one thousand twenty-three, maintaining five thousand. |
| PF | The distances there ... er! ... Ah yes, there (*) overhead the 250 moving out to eleven STR, we repass ANDLO on the track and we leave at eleven STR .. 4500 feet, nine STR, 3800, seven, three,two hundred. In case of go around we climb on the centreline |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha, six nautical radial two hundred ninety for Strasbourg |
| PNF | Received Delta Alpha |
| PF | The coud-break is made on zero fifty. It's a slope of 3 point five er! five point five ... That is three (*) three. |
| PF | We'll select anti-ice (*). |
| PF | And the lot, the wings as well. |
| PNF | Yes |
| PF | What's up? |
| PNF | It's nice and new, but that's what's wrong |
| PF | Yes, yes, there is ice on it. |
| PF | It's crazy, eh? When you're not ready the time it takes to get to five thousand feet to ANDLO flat out. It doesn't work eh? And also at ... what ... ten miles from final. |
| CTRL | Air Inter Delta Alpha turn left (*) heading ninety, zero nine zero |
| PNF | Heading ninety, zero nine zero to the left Delta Alpha |
| PF | Flaps to one |
| PNF | Flaps to one. (*) One |
| CTRL | Air Inter Delta Alpha continue left turn to establish yourself on zero fifty one, you are four miles from ANDLO, passing left of ANDLO |
| PF | OK |
| PNF | Received, we will call established on QDM zero fifty one |
| CTRL | Affirmative sir |
| PNF | We will (*) (*) |
| PNF | Il aurait fallu qu'tu ouvres au zero sept zero |
| PF | Yeah, yeah |
| PNF | At least |
| CTRL | Air Inter Delta Alpha passing right of ANDLO, authorized (*) final approach VOR DME zero five |
| PNF | Delta Alpha |
| PF | Flaps to two |
| PNF | Flaps to two, (*) two |
| PF | Gear down |
| PNF | I'll prepare the lights without putting them on |
| CTRL | Delta Alpha call the VOR on final |
| PF | OK |
| PNF | Call the VOR on final (*) pass eight hundred feet |
| PF | (*) |
| PNF | On centerline. (*) Half a dot from centerline. There is is, it had been at sixty, it's good, you see here |
| [Two hundred] - radio altimeter callout | |
| End of Recording | |
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