Crash: Air New Zealand A320 near Perpignan on Nov 27th 2008, impacted Mediterranean Sea
By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, Nov 27th 2008 17:53Z, last updated Thursday, Nov 27th 2008 22:20Z
An Air New Zealand Airbus A320-200, registration ZK-OJL (D-AXLA), test flight GXL888T from Perpignan (France) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 7 people (2 Germans, 5 New Zealanders) on board, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast near Perpignan (France) at 16:46 local (15:45Z), approximately 7km (3.8nm) before Saint-Cyprien.
The airplane had taken off Perpignan's runway 15 for a test flight at around 16:30 local (15:30Z), when it disappeared from radar. Coast Guard patrol boats as well as a helicopter by the Navy found floating parts, the airplane itsself is reported sunken, water depth being 45 meters at that location. Three bodies were recovered, four occupants are still missing.
XL Airways Germany said, they don't know exactly what happened. Their aircraft D-AXLA was to be transferred to Air New Zealand, resuming its original registration ZK-OJL in the New Zealand aircraft register. The airplane came out of the maintenance and was to be verified. Initially XL Airways received the information, that the airplane had successfully ditched until the news of the crash arrived. Two German employees of XL Airways were on board as well as 5 New Zealanders. The airplane was already back in Air New Zealand colors with the original Air New Zealand interior restored. The airplane should have returned to New Zealand in December.
Air New Zealand confirmed the loss of their aircraft. The airplane was flown by two XL Airways Germany pilots. Aboard were also one senior Air New Zealand captain, 3 ANZ engineers and 1 inspector from New Zealand's CAA. The airplane was expected back in New Zealand later this week. The flight was the final test flight to establish, that the airplane was up to Air New Zealand standards. According to their information only one body has been found, although there are reports of three bodies being recovered.
An eye witness reported, that the Airbus was at a height of estimated 300 meters (1000 feet), when it suddenly fell into the sea. There was no explosion. He said, there are many more witnesses of the crash.
The airplane impacted the sea at 4:46am 28th of November New Zealand time, exactly 29 years after an Air New Zealand DC-10 impacted Mount Erebus in the Antarctica on Nov 28th 1979.
Metars:
LFMP 271800Z 28006KT 9999 -RA OVC033 06/04 Q1017 NOSIG
LFMP 271700Z 29006KT 9999 -RA OVC036 06/03 Q1017 NOSIG
LFMP 271600Z 30005KT 9999 FEW033 SCT043 BKN058 07/03 Q1018 NOSIG
LFMP 271500Z 28003KT 9999 -RA FEW033 BKN053 07/03 Q1018 NOSIG
LFMP 271400Z VRB02KT 9999 FEW033 BKN051 07/00 Q1019 NOSIG
LFMP 271300Z 00000KT 9999 FEW036 BKN050 BKN080 09/M02 Q1020 NOSIG
LFMP 271200Z VRB02KT 9999 FEW050 09/M02 Q1021 NOSIG
AVHERALD
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