Narrative:
TAT Flight 230 departed Nancy, France, at 06:53 hours for Paris-Orly and climbed to a cruising altitude of FL140. At 07:26 the aircraft was cleared to descend to FL90 and later FL70. Approaching the MEL VOR, clearance was given to descend further to FL60. About 07:37 the aircraft entered a steep descent at a rate of 16000 ft/min. Twenty seconds later the aircraft struck power lines and impacted the ground.
PROBABLE CAUSE (translated from original French language report): Immediately after an electrical systems failure occurred in instrument weather conditions, the aircraft pitched nose down.
The Committee was unable to acquire any certainty as to the cause of this catastrophic descent.
After eliminating various assumptions invalidated by the established facts and findings and after reviewing the results of flight tests conducted at its request, the commission assigned higher probability to the hypothesis that the electrical fault caused a loss of attitude reference and autopilot disconnect which would have occurred while the aircraft was configured 'out of trim' in a nose down attitude.
In the absence of independent standby horizon, the crew had no usable attitude reference immediately available while the aircraft was in a high-speed dive.
Loss of control
» Aérosteles : Lieux de mémoire aéronautique
accident date: 04-03-1988
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: F-GCPS
accident date: 04-03-1988
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: F-GCPS
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 4 March 1988 |
| Time: | 07:37 |
| Type: |  Fairchild FH-227B |
| Operator: | Transport Aérien Transrégional - TAT |
| Registration: | F-GCPS |
| MSN: | 546 |
| First flight: | 1967 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 33142 |
| Cycles: | 55843 |
| Engines: | 2 Rolls-Royce Dart 532-7 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 20 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 23 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 1,6 km (1 mls) E of Machault ( France)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Nancy-Essey Airport (ENC/LFSN), France |
| Paris-Orly Airport (ORY/LFPO), France | |
| Flightnumber: | IJ230 |
TAT Flight 230 departed Nancy, France, at 06:53 hours for Paris-Orly and climbed to a cruising altitude of FL140. At 07:26 the aircraft was cleared to descend to FL90 and later FL70. Approaching the MEL VOR, clearance was given to descend further to FL60. About 07:37 the aircraft entered a steep descent at a rate of 16000 ft/min. Twenty seconds later the aircraft struck power lines and impacted the ground.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE (translated from original French language report): Immediately after an electrical systems failure occurred in instrument weather conditions, the aircraft pitched nose down.
The Committee was unable to acquire any certainty as to the cause of this catastrophic descent.
After eliminating various assumptions invalidated by the established facts and findings and after reviewing the results of flight tests conducted at its request, the commission assigned higher probability to the hypothesis that the electrical fault caused a loss of attitude reference and autopilot disconnect which would have occurred while the aircraft was configured 'out of trim' in a nose down attitude.
In the absence of independent standby horizon, the crew had no usable attitude reference immediately available while the aircraft was in a high-speed dive.
Classification:
Electrical system problem Loss of control
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 260-AN/154 (1-11)» Aérosteles : Lieux de mémoire aéronautique
Photos
accident date: 04-03-1988
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: F-GCPS
accident date: 04-03-1988
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: F-GCPS
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Nancy-Essey Airport to Paris-Orly Airport as the crow flies is 282 km (176 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Nancy-Essey Airport to Paris-Orly Airport as the crow flies is 282 km (176 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: 
France
Share
Fairchild FH-227
- 78 built
- 13th loss
- 10th fatal accident
- 8th worst accident (at the time)
- 9th worst accident (currently)
France- 24th worst accident (at the time)
- 27th worst accident (currently)
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
