Airbus A320 crash, Nov 27, 2008 (7 killed), Saint-Cyprien
Airbus A320 accident on November 27, 2008 near Saint-Cyprien, Pyrénées-Orientales, France with 7 fatalities. Cause: The crew lost control of the...
- Date: November 27, 2008
- Aircraft: Airbus A320
- Location: Saint-Cyprien, Pyrénées-Orientales, France
- Fatalities: 7
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The crew lost control of the aircraft after an improvised demonstration of the angle of attack protections, which could not trigger because the sensors were blocked. Contributing factors included a low-altitude demonstration, the crew's pitch-up management, an improvised flight program, and water freezing in the sensors from earlier rinsing.
An Airbus A320 test flight over the Mediterranean, undertaken after a lease ended, crashed into the sea off Saint-Cyprien after the crew deliberately demonstrated the angle of attack protections. Both angle of attack sensors had frozen up in flight after water from earlier cleaning entered them, which the crew did not know. The crew did not stop the demonstration before the aircraft stalled, and all seven people on board were killed.