The pilot of an Air France flight from New York struggled with the controls even shouted "stop, stop!" to his colleague while trying to land in Paris on Tuesday, reveals the cockpit audio from the Boeing 777 that has triggered an investigation. The pilots of flight AF011 lost control of the aircraft for some terrifying moments, according to the audio, and there was a "serious risk" of an accident.
The aircraft appeared unresponsive to the pilot's commands just before landing and multiple audio warnings were heard in the cockpit. The Air France plane appeared to veer uncontrollably to the left, according to the audio posted on the aviation website aerotime.aero.
The pilots regained control of the aircraft at a low altitude of around 1,200 feet or 370 metres.
France's aviation safety watchdog, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), has classified the problem over the landing of the Boeing 777 at Charles de Gaulle airport as a "serious incident".
The pilots finally landed safely after carrying out a "go-around".
The BEA said the flight was hit by "instability to the flight controls" on the final approach, which is the most risky phase.
Air France has been quoted as telling news agency AFP that the crew "interrupted their landing sequence and carried out a go-around during the approach to Charles de Gaulle" and that the crew "landed the aircraft normally after a second approach".
The exchanges between the cockpit and the control tower highlighted how close the flight was to a deadly accident.
The exchange is calm until it appears that the pilots are fighting with the commands. "Stop, stop," one of the pilots is heard in the cockpit audio, sounding stressed and breathless. "I'll call you back," he tells the control tower.
"We went around following an issue with commands. The airplane didn't respond. We are ready to resume final approach with radar guidance," the pilot tells the tower.
"Give us time to manage the situation, then guide us with tailwind," he says.
The control tower says the plane seemed to deviate to its left.
Air France confirmed that the crew of flight AF011 aborted landing and performed a go-around due to a "technical incident".
"The crew mastered the situation and landed the aircraft normally after a second approach. Air France understands and regrets the discomfort felt by customers," said the airline.
"The go-around is defined by the authorities, aircraft manufacturers and Air France as a normal procedure. The crews are trained and regularly instructed in these procedures, which are used by all airlines to guarantee the safety of flights and passengers, which is an absolute necessity for Air France," the airline added.
