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| Date: | Tuesday 14 January 1992 |
| Time: | 09:30 LT |
| Type: |  Airbus A310-324 |
| Owner/operator: | Delta Air Lines |
| Registration: | N823PA |
| MSN: | 539 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1990 |
| Engine model: | P&W PW4152 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 152 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Waypoint BEREK -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, KY (CVG/KCVG) |
| London-Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The Airbus departed from Cincinnati Airport, USA at 0215 hrs on a flight to London Gatwick Airport.
At about 8,000 feet, in the climb, it suffered a lightning strike on the lower part of the #2 engine cowl. Subsequently, the commander noted, certain engine parameter displays failed and showed 'xx' on the engine condition and monitoring system. No other problems were evident and so he elected to
continue the flight.
An initial call to the London, Daventry west sector, controller was made at 0917 hrs and, at 0921 hrs
clearance was given to "descend to flight level one three zero, level by BEREK". This was repeated
back by the first officer as "...descend down to one three zero level by DEREK." The controller,
sensing that some confusion existed, replied "Level by BEREK, 40 miles before Midhurst". The
commander set '13000' in the altitude select window and initiated the descent by pulling the altitude
select control. Although in common usage relating to Gatwick arrivals, the crew had not recognised
the reporting point BEREK and so they attempted to identify its position. It was not stored in the
Flight Management System computer, nor, as it is not a reporting point on the upper airway system,
was it on the high level enroute chart they were using; they later confirmed its location on the London area chart. The descent continued normally and, at about 0929 hrs, the aircraft was approaching BEREK on a south-easterly track, passing FL135.
The controller had given a radar heading of 030° to another aircraft under his control to facilitate its
climb against other sector traffic; it was a Jetstream maintaining FL120. He was aware that this would mean that it would cross beneath the Airbus, in the vicinity of BEREK, but believed that, as he had cleared the latter to FL130, the standard vertical separation of 1,000 feet would be maintained.
Analysis of recorded radar data indicated that, at 0929:12 hrs, the Airbus descended through the
cleared level of FL130.
The Daventry west sector controller reported that, shortly before the data blocks from the two aircraft merged on his radar screen he noticed that the level display from the Airbus was slightly below the cleared level. Consequently, at 0929:34 hrs, he asked the Airbus to "confirm you're maintaining flight level one three zero" and the reply was "one three zero". A frequency change was then passed. It was during this exchange that the crew realised the altitude selector was reading '12000' and that this was the level for which the flight system was programmed. Immediate action was initiated to recover to FL130. The Jetstream crew first saw the Airbus in their 1 o'clock position at about ½ nm; before they could take avoiding action, it had passed in front of them, from left to right. At about 0929:35 hrs the Airbus crossed the Jetstream's track, about 2,000 feet in front and 200 feet above.
By 0929:42 hrs the two aircraft data blocks separated again and the altitude display on the Airbus was
'121'. The controller became aware of this and, at 0930:05 hrs, again asked the aircraft to "confirm
you're flight level one three zero". The reply was "we slipped down a little bit; we're coming three
zee...one three zero". The Jetstream commander filed an airmiss report timed at 0930:07 hrs.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ee9b40f0b61346000235/Airbus_Industrie_A310__N823PA_and_BAe_Jetstream_BA31__G-LOGV_04-92.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/36212 (Photo)
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-May-2025 18:26 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 24-May-2025 18:27 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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