Air Algerie 702P CVR Transcript

Air Algérie/Phoenix Flight 702P, ship name Oasis, registration 7T-VEE, was a Boeing 737 owned by Air Algérie and leased by Phoenix Aviation which crashed on 21 December 1994 on landing at Coventry, United Kingdom. All five on board were killed.

The Boeing 737 had been leased by Phoenix Aviation in order to operate a series of live animal export flights from the UK to France and the Netherlands. On December 21, at 06.42h the plane departed from Amsterdam for a flight to Coventry. Weather at Coventry worsened and when arriving near Coventry, the RVR for runway 23 was 700m. The aircraft was not able to receive the Coventry runway 23 ILS as its dual navigation receiver system was not to an updated 40 channel ILS standard, so an SRA approach was flown. The radar guidance was completed at 0,5mls from touchdown; the commander decided to discontinue the approach and execute a go-around. A holding pattern was then taken up at 07.44h. While holding, the RVR further reduced to 600m and the flight diverted to East Midlands to wait on the ground for weather improvement. The aircraft landed there at 08.08h.

At around 09.00h weather conditions improved to 1200m visibility and an overcast cloud base at 600ft. The flight departed East Midlands at 09.38h and climbed to FL40. Approaching Coventry, the crew received radar vectors for a runway 23 approach. After some initial confusion about the heading (the controller wanted the crew to turn left for 010deg, while the crew understood 100deg) the turn was continued to 260deg and the SRA approach started at 12mls from touchdown.

The aircraft descended below the Minimum Descent Height (MDH) for the approach procedure and collided with an 86ft high (291ft ams) electricity transmission tower (pylon) which was situated on the extended centreline of the runway, some 1.1mls from the threshold. The collision caused major damage to the inboard high lift devices on the left wing and the left engine. The consequent loss of lift on the left wing and the thrust asymmetry, caused the aircraft to roll uncontrollably to the left. When passing through a wings vertical attitude, the left wingtip impacted the gable end of a house. The aircraft continued rolling to an inverted attitude and impacted the ground in an area of woodland close to the edge of the housing conurbation. An intense fire ensued.

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Transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)

COV = Coventry ATCP1 = Captain P2 = First Officer 702P = Radio contact with Coventry Words spoken in French or Arabic are in Italic letters
Time to accident	Source	Contents
	COV	Seven zero two papa we'll be taking you through the final approach track for spacing
6:44	P1	Flaps
	P2	One
		[Sound of lever buzzer]
	COV	Seven zero two papa are you able to take up the ILS at Coventry now or would you like an SRA
	702P	Ah sorry confirm your message please
6:30	COV	Roger could you turn left immediately now onto a heading of zero one zero initally please
	702P	We have presently heading zero one zero
	COV	Roger at the moment you're tracking one zero zero can you turn left zero one zero please
	P2	Zero one zero
	702P	Roger
6:15	P2	Flaps five
		[Pitch trim]
	P1	Zero ten the heading
	P1	Heading two hundred thirty
5:54	P1	If we concentrate we can get it
	P1	The problem is no ILS
		[Noise of engine power increase to 70%]
5:45	P2	Flaps ten
5:32	COV	ACE cargo seven zero papa continue the left turn now onto radar heading of two six zero
	702P	Roger we turn left heading two six zero seven zero two papa
	P1	If we can't get it go around and we try again
	P1	If we give attention to the fuel
		[Power reduced from 63% to 53%]
		[Power increase to 65%]
4:40	COV	And seven zero two papa approximately twelve nautical miles now to run for surveillance radar approach ruway two three that approach terminates at two nautical miles from touchdown check your minima and missed approach point
	702P	Er- roger madam er could you give aah cooperation with ah S R E - er - approach
	COV	Rogee surveillance radar approach for runway two three
		[Power reduction 65% to 60%]
	702P	Roger thank you because we are not reading the ILS
4:02	COV	That's all copied thank you very much you're ten miles from touchdown now at your convenience check your wheels you're closing the final approach track very gently from the left
		[Increased background noise]
3:53	702P	Okay we are gear down
3:50	COV	Thank you
	P2	Flaps fifteen
		[Sound of lever movement ]
		[Power increased to 70%]
	P2	Check - three greens
	702P	Distance to for touchdown ah - seven zero two papa
3:31	COV	Roger miles from touchdown now nine track miles niner track miles from touchdown
	702P	Roger
	COV	You can expect further descent to maintain a three degree glidepath at four and a half miles from touchdown I'll keep you advised
	702P	Okay thank you very much
3:11	P2	We can see the ground
	P1	Eh
	P2	We can see the ground
	P1	From time to time
	P1	It's not always the case
	P2	In patches
	P2	It's in patches
	P1	Otherwise we come here and try to get below cloud
2:57	COV	Seven zero two papa is very slightly left of track closing very gently
	702P	Er - would you want we turn right heading two seven zero
	COV	Negative if you continue on that heading you will be on the final approach track by six miles
	702P	Roger
	P1	Look at ADF one
2:34	COV	Seven zero two papa turn left now two four zero the radar heading final approach tack
	702P	Roger seven zero two papa turn left on two four zero
		[Engine 62%-64%, pitch trim]
	P1	Turn turn turn two hundred and forty
2:11	COV	Turn further left now two three zero the heading two three zero
	702P	Turn left two three zero
	P1	Quickly
	P1	One hundred and fifty
		[Sound of power increase to 74%]
1:55	P1	Put on five degrees more to the left
1:52	COV	And you're six miles from touchdown now QFE check one zero one three nicely on the final approach track the heading good
	702P	Roger
		[Clicking of pitch trim]
	COV	Five and a half miles from touchdown two three zero the heading on track
		[Power reduction 72%-67%]
1:44	COV	Turn right five degrees two three five five from touchdown two three five is the heading commence descent now to maintain a three degree glidepath, you
1:28	COV	should be leaving height one thousand five hundred feet. Two three five is the radar heading on track four and a half miles from touchdown height one four zero zero feet
1:21	COV	two three five the radar heading turn furthre right radar heding two four zero four miles from touchdown your height should be on one two five zero feet two four
1:09	COV	zero the heading
		[Multiple clicking]
	COV	Three and a half miles from touchdown
1:01	COV	Your height should be one thousand one hundred feet
	COV	Two four zero the radar heading very very gently left of track and closing gently two four zero the heading
0:48	COV	Three miles from touchdown your height should be nine five zero feet
		[Pitch trim]
	COV	On track turn left heading two three eight two three eight the heading two and a half miles from touchdown your height should be eight zero zero feet
		[Power increase]
0:26	COV	Two three eight you're cleared to land runway two three the surface wind variable less than five knots
0:23	COV	Two miles from touchdown your height should be six five zero zero feet check minimum descent height on track the heading good two three eight the radar heading
	COV	You are cleared to landd
	COV	Turn further right two four zero
	COV	Drifting very slightly left of track
	COV	Two four zero two four zero is the radar heading nicely on track now
	COV	The heading is good
0:01	P1/2	Exclamation

21 December 1994 - Air Algerie 702P