Gulf Air Flight 072
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 23, 2000 |
| Type | Pilot error |
| Site | Persian Gulf, Bahrain |
| Passengers | 135 |
| Crew | 8 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A320-212 |
| Operator | Gulf Air |
| Tail number | A40-EK |
On August 23, 2000, Gulf Air Flight 072 crashed into the Persian Gulf on approach to Bahrain International Airport from Cairo.
The A320 with 143 passengers and crew on board approached the landing at higher speeds than normal and carried out an unusual low altitude orbit in an attempt to correct the approach.[1][2] The orbit was unsuccessful and a go-round was attempted. While carrying out a turning climb the aircraft entered a descent at 15 degrees nose down. The aircrew did not respond to repeated GPWS warnings[3] and approximately one minute after starting the go-round the aircraft disappeared from radar screens.[4] There were no survivors. 36 children were on the aircraft [1]. The accident investigation concluded that the primary cause of the crash was pilot error (including spatial disorientation), with a secondary factor being systemic organizational and oversight issues.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Crash in the Gulf, CBS News
- Accident Investigation Report
- Accident report from aviation safety network
[edit] References
- ^ Airbus A320 A40-EK accident record. Aviation Safety Network. “..significantly higher than standard aircraft speeds during the descent and the first approach... ...performing an orbit, a non-standard manoeuvre, close to the runway at low altitude"..”
- ^ Civil Aviation Authority of Bahrain. [http://web.archive.org/web/20040212231659/http://www.bahrainairport.com/caa/gf072.html ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT Gulf Air Flight GF-072].
- ^ Civil Aviation Authority of Bahrain. [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.bahrainairport.com/caa/gf072/pdf/conclusions.pdf ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT Gulf Air Flight GF-072]. “4b. The analysis of FDR and CVR recordings indicated that neither the captain nor the first officer perceived, or effectively responded to, the threat of the aircraft's increasing proximity to the ground in spite of repeated hard GPWS warnings...”
- ^ Bureau Enquetes-Accidents. Airbus A320 A4O-EK accident record - Graphic - A40-EK Flight Path dervied from Lat and Long FDR Parameters. Aviation Safety Network.
- ^ Airbus A320 A4O-EK accident record. Aviation Safety Network. “The investigation showed that no single factor was responsible for the accident to GF-072. The accident was the result of a fatal combination of many contributory factors, both at the individual and systemic levels.”
