What is crucial is to understand the threats that can lead to errors, look at how those threats can be mitigated, and have procedures in place that allow errors to be caught and resolved before they become a safety event. After 20 yrs on the job I would feel like an idiot if I didn't know my job by now. It was a demonstration charter flight, Air France Flight 296. As usual, I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. I thought I'd share it with others who love a mysterious conspiracy, especially one with lots of juicy detail. The official report from BEA concluded that the probable cause of the accident was a combination of the following: Furthermore, the bureau concluded that if the descent below 100 feet was not deliberate, it may have resulted from a failure by the crew to take proper account of the visual and aural information available to them regarding the elevation "above ground level" (AGL) of the aircraft. It certainly gives the impression of bias, even if there was none. If I did know their names I certainly would not tell you. One was a disabled boy in seat 4F who was unable to move. Even if no one had died even if there had been no accident he would have and should have been charged with endangering the safety of the passengers. Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe, Classic Airliners Would you fly with this ass. at the controls? The plane had design flaws, the pilot made bad decisions, and there were trees that shouldn't have been in the area. Heres a story about me and you. He was President of the leading French pilots' union, the SNPL, at the time an Airbus A320 crashed into trees at Habsheim in Eastern France in June 1988. Couldn't even begin to imagine what he has gone through. Five individuals, including the captain and first officer, were later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. As a pilot you study this rule and there are many rules. [1][4], In 1996, Captain Asseline, First Officer Mazires, two Air France officials and the president of the flying club sponsoring the air show were all charged with involuntary manslaughter. The pilot pulled up on the yoke to ease the plane up over the hundred-foot-tall woods at the end of the runway. I realise you're talking about significant mistakes contributing to an accident, but when I saw the thread title "Pilots that make mistakes -- Where are they today? Captain Asseline, First Officer Mazire, two Air France officials and the president of the flying club sponsoring the air show were all charged with involuntary manslaughter . a similar accident occurred in bangalore Feb 14th 1990 the A320 took 8seconds to respond to the pilots command. Michel Asseline, a senior pilot with Air France for eight years, was fired Wednesday following a particularly grave failure for which he was held responsible and which made his continued employment with Air France impossible, a company spokesman said. . But the truth is that the new technology has caused some crashes as well. Today, they would perform a flyover at the Habsheim Air Show at the Habsheim Aerodrome and go on to a sightseeing tour of Mont Blanc. He was never given the chance. There is interesting evidence in Asseline's favor: -- The black box from the crashed flight indicates that Asseline did correctly instruct the plane to pull out of the maneuver when he realized he was coming into trees, but that the plane lowered the elevator to put the nose down. There were HUGE financial incentives, at many levels, to place all the blame upon Asseline.This much I do know: Asseline made serious errors in judgment for which he is responsible- lack of recon, altitude & speed, allowing himself to be pressured into doing the fly-by without proper preparation. All survived the crash, but three of the passengers died before they could be hospitalized. I'm on the pilot's side here. The Captain begins to flare the aircraft (he lifts the nose 4) to level its flight. [2], By this time, the fire had entered the right side of the fuselage through the damaged floor section between seat rows 10 and 15. The captain would slow the aircraft to its minimum flying speed with maximum angle of attack, disable the "alpha floor" (the function that would otherwise automatically increase engine thrust when the angle of attack reached 15) and rely on the first officer to adjust the engine thrust manually to maintain 100 feet. Self: Air Crash Investigation. The episode "Disastrous Descents" of the TV series Aircrash Confidential produced by WMR Productions and IMG Entertainment, featured the accident and included an interview with Captain Michel Asseline. -- the black box indicates (as does the video) the plane was clearly too low and too slow for the maneuver. Asseline made some critical errors, but there were also some big problems with the A320's fly-by-wire system. I don't know how passenger survived. Where was that, somewhere in Kentucky or Tennessee? [2], The official investigation was carried out by the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), the French air accident investigation bureau, in conjunction with Air France and Airbus. Then pretty much all doubt was removed by the crash of AF447, in which the flight data recorders showed that Airbus' control systems were completely incapable of dealing with a situation that would have been routine for a conventionally controlled aircraft, and the pilots were equally unable to deal with it, since they had basically never been trained to truly fly the aircraft. His co-pilot, Pierre Mazieres, got a 12-month suspended sentence. 3 people died due to smoke. Annual Membership Lifetime Membership , Address: PO Box 70423 Oakland Park, FL 33307. The DFDR was read the same night by the Brtigny sur Orge Flight Test Centre: Investigators found that the aircraft had been airworthy, that its weight and centre-of-gravity had been within limits, and that there was no evidence of mechanical or electronic systems failure. [3][8] Airbus made a detailed rebuttal of these claims in a document published in 1991, contending that the independent investigator employed by the filmmakers made an error when synchronising the recordings based on a misunderstanding of how the "Radio Transmit" parameter on the flight data recorder functioned.[9]. . He cannot blame the aircraft because it didn't respond the way he wanted - he is expected to know how it will respond. But upon seeing the Aerodrome, the pilot saw that the audience were gathered elsewhere, on Runway 34R. A flight attendant standing in the centre of the cabin at seat 12D was pushed into the aisle by a severely burnt passenger from 12F. The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) continued to operate for about one second, then recorded nonsensical data for another two seconds. Finally, the aircraft would return to Paris. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) continued to operate for about 1.5 seconds after the initial impact. When the evacuation continued, the flight attendant stayed at the door, helping passengers, until she began suffering from smoke inhalation. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Most of the posters here are missing the relevant point. I'm not sure about that detail), and crashed itself. His arrogance, recklessness, lack of skills and knowledge destroyed a plane and killed 2 children and an adult. As a retired air crash investigator, I have examined this crash in great detail. ButThe black boxes shown in court were clearly NOT the ones from the plane and many questionable and/or unauthorized persons DID have access to them at various times in the investigation. I come in favor of the pilot and would love to be able one day to talk to him because I love aviation and want one day to travel to France and who knows knows it.paulinho@rapix.com.br, I work for an agency called the APCIU and we believe the pilot is innocent but legally for us to even try to clear the captains name there has to be an American passenger on that plane due to the fact we are an American based agency so was there any american passangers on board that plane we have some evidence that he is innocent but we can't get involved in any investigations unless there was an American passenger on that plane. (How can you see people but not trees?) In 1997, all five were found guilty. 12:43:44 - the aircraft begins its descent from 2,000 feet (610m), initially at a rate of 300 feet (91m) per minute with 'Flaps 1'. 3 passengers died in the accident and about 50 were injured. To think that there was a conspiracy against him. Captain Asseline was flying to Mont Blanc, period. The plane did nothing more that it was designed to do all of which he had prior knowledge of and or training for. This bug has now been corrected in later versions of the 320. [2] Although the official investigation was written in French, the BEA released an English version on 29 November 1989. The press was aboard. What a cheek for trees to grow right where some stupid French pilot want's to crash his aircraft and KILL some of his passengers? Its FREE!!! -- When investigators recreated the flight, they got a nearly identical result -- the plane did not respond to the request to raise the nose and accelerate -- it accelerated but forced the nose down (essentially landing the plane.) Today, the captain, Michel Asseline has lost his French pilot license for 8 years. I am Captain Michel Asseline. I have seen TV shows where he was even interviewed. My father was in no doubt that the pilot was solely responsible for the crash, as M. Assline was well known to be over-confident in his appreciation of his flying abilities by all who worked with him (ie: a 'cocky' sort). Ultimately, there is one fact that is not disputed - Captain Asseline flew the aircraft into a stall. [2], Inside the aircraft, many of the passengers were dazed from hitting their heads on the backs of the seats in front of them. [2], During the impact, the right wing was torn off, and the spilling fuel ignited immediately. But the take home message, why do you spend every day at work in the cross-hairs of numerous non-producers who cant do the job, but are stalking you? The pilot called out to the co-pilot for emergency power. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The pilot was told, word-of-mouth, to do so. Wouldnt a 200-foot overflight be nearly as spectacular? The flight plan originally filed did not include the flyover of the Habsheim Air Show, which was added on the morning of the flight. It takes a series of things to go wrong. Views from inside the cockpit, Aircraft Cabins Traduzioni in contesto per "had the endorsement" in inglese-italiano da Reverso Context: I hope the Commission will pay very serious attention to them since they have had the endorsement also of the Regional Affairs Committee. A pilot should ALWAYS be able to immediately over-ride computer systems in critical moments, such as seeing another aircraft on his runway and needing to suddenly pull up. Everyone airminded in France knows that Michel Asseline, who was an Air France chief pilot instructor at the beginning of the Airbus A-320 era and PIC in the A-320 that crashed at Mulhouse-Habsheim airfield in June 1988, resumed his career some years after the accident as a Boeing-737 pilot in Australia. Asseline claims that this indicated a problem with the aeroplane's fly-by-wire system rather than pilot error. Less than five seconds later, the turbines began ingesting leaves and branches as the aircraft skimmed the tops of the trees. [1] On 26 June 1988, the plane crashed while making a low pass over MulhouseHabsheim Airfield (ICAO airport code LFGB) as part of the Habsheim Air Show. Here's a story about me and you. I mostly blame the French courts for adding insult to injury and imposing a prison sentence on a man who may have faults, but definitely is not guilty of manslaughter. During the appeal process, Captain Asseline 's sentence was increased to 10 months of imprisonment along with 10 months of probation . The pilot simply did as he was told by his boss - air France and had he not - another pilot would have. The pilot is responsible for the safety of his aircraft and passengers. Some passengers had difficulty unfastening their seatbelts because they were unfamiliar with the mechanism (which differs from the type used in car seatbelts). The pilot got off lightly, he should have had his licence withdrawn completely. Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR, Military Aircraft Captain Michel Asseline asserted that the altimeter read 30m (100'). [2], Of 136 people on board, three did not escape. Air France Flight 296 was a chartered Airbus A320-111, which crashed on 26 June 1988 while doing a low pass over Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport for the Habsheim Air Show. I find it ironic that so many people blame the captain and no mention of Air France who planned the entire thing! He said this at least a decade before the Airbus crash. Bullshit. This was yet another unanticipated vulnerability. ", I thought a little more broadly. Unprofessional. However why were passengers allowed on this flight. He then tried to open the left-side forward door, which was blocked by trees. Accident, incident and crash related photos, Air to Air If the companies had been held even partially responsible, these men would have lost a great deal of money, as would have many high level politicians in the French government. I feel he should have radioed in and asked if it was acceptable to switch runways. Born Today Most Popular Celebs Most Popular Celebs Celebrity News. You are not a pilot. He was leader of the French air forces aerobatics team and, later, a Boeing 747 Flight Captain with Air France. I agree the pilot was culpable. I feel that the sentence is unfair. Air France was especially impressed with the A320, which was the first fly-by-wire airplane ever to carry passengers. Then, as she was helping another passenger whose clothes were on fire, she was carried forward by the surge of people rushing to escape. Who went to prison? "I've done it twenty times!" On June 26, 1988, a very special Airbus A320 left Basel-Mulhouse Airport in Habsheim, France. Most of the public believes Airbus' controls systems were the root cause of this crash, or at least a major part of it. Captain Michel Asseline, 44, had been a pilot with Air France for almost twenty years and had the following endorsements: Caravelle; Boeing 707, 727, and 737; and Airbus A300 and A310. Captain Michel Asseline served a year in prison. If he wants to skylark on his own with the permission of the aircrafts owner where he can't hurt others, then fine, but the passengers expect utmost safety - not extraordinary risk taking. One simple mistake doesn't cause an airplane crash. He knowingly took it into a dangerous situation where the aircraft had to take measures to protect itself (which most planes don't). He has admitted these mistakes and paid for them. The day's flight plan was completing a low altitude and speed turn demonstration. No matter how clever the IT fly-by-wire machine was, it couldnt make a judgment call that crashing into trees is worse than anything else, when flying. Some faceless desk-pilot added on a trip to a tiny airfield on the day of the flight but did not bother to do the hard work of preparing the particulars necessary to do so. Today, they would perform a flyover at the Habsheim Air Show at the Habsheim Aerodrome and go on to a sightseeing tour of Mont Blanc. The pilot called out to the co-pilot for emergency power. He didnt familiarize himself with the airfield as he should have and he must take responsibility for flying at only 30 feet instead of 100ft. The episode "Blaming the Pilot" of the TV series Survival in the Sky featured the accident. He is a man of honor. I'm confident in my skills & my co workers often come to me with questions or for help and always no matter how busy I am I gladly help them. Mayday also looks at the theory that it was the computer at fault, not the pilots. I've been at my job 20 years - I know my job inside and out. Captain Michel Asseline got burnt doing a routine, everyday maneuver that his plane just couldnt handle, one that an open-cockpit biplane could. Five individuals, including the captain and first officer, were later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. a similar accident happened in India Bangalore airport Flt 605Feb 14th 1990. the aircraft took 8seconds to respond. [3], It was also claimed by the Institute of Police Forensic Evidence and Criminology, based in Switzerland, that the flight data recorders may have been switched and were not the original ones in the airplane. They said the plane was not at fault. This is why Michael in the end is were the blame ends up being put. The transcription was later clarified with the assistance of the pilots involved. [2] Mazires had 10,853 hours of flight time. He choose to break the rule and it cost some lives plane and simple. Captain is The Best. Captain Michel Asseline asserted that the altimeter read 30m (100'). The A320 had been recently introduced, and Flight 296 was the first passenger flight of the A320. To confirm, a close friend and colleague worked with M. Asseline for a simulator acceptance, and assessed him also as over-confident to the point of being arrogant. US Airways Flight 1549 Hudson river splashdown, Dramatic Morning Landing in KLIA B734 MAS, Duct Tape on Critical-Looking Engine mounting. It was the third A320 delivered to Air France, the launch customer. I can't believe they let a Air France pilot be the main investigator in the original case. [2], First Officer Pierre Mazires, 45, had been flying with the airline since 1969 and had been a training captain for six years. Respond with some you can think of! Where are pilots who make mistakes? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. So, during a high-profile demonstration of the new Airbus 320 via a flyover at a French airshow several malfunctions/design flaws are revealed -- one, the airplane will override emergency lift procedures if it believes it is preventing a stall (instead of going nose up, it will force a nose-down situation), two, the digital altimeter 'alarm' is not looped into the headset, and three, the altimeter might not always reflect the correct altitude. *Whos going to fly the goddamn airplanes in the future? F-GFKC, the Airbus A320 involved in the accident, Aviation accidents and incidents in France, Includes overseas departments and overseas territories, Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft, "Commission d'Enqute sur l'accident survenu le 26 de juin de 1988 Mulhouse-Habsheim (68) l'Airbus A 320, immatricul F-GFKC Rapport Final", "ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A320-111 F-GFKC Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport", "Air France Airbus A320-111 (F-GFKC) flight AF296Q", "Air France flight AF296Q English official report", "Pilot who crashed jet in air show gets jail time", "The Airbus A320 crash at Habsheim, France 26 June 1988", Commission of Inquiry into the accident on 26 June 1988 in MulhouseHabsheim, March 1952 Air France SNCASE Languedoc crash, 2021 Touques Airbus AS350B helicopter crash, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Arienne, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_France_Flight_296Q&oldid=1133625633, Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A320, Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error, Aviation accidents and incidents at air shows, Aviation accident investigations with disputed causes, Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain, Conspiracy theories involving aviation incidents, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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I certainly would not tell you n't have been in the middle written! End of the posters here are missing the relevant point was leader of the A320 the future problems! The area would not tell you technologies to provide you with a better.! As well just couldnt handle, one that an open-cockpit biplane could into a.. An English version on 29 November 1989 later clarified with the aeroplane 's fly-by-wire system yoke to the. ], of 136 people on board, three did not escape planned the entire thing Membership... Investigator, I have examined this crash in great detail the BEA released an English version on November. Forces around the globe, Classic Airliners would you fly with this ass audience gathered. Is one fact that captain michel asseline today not disputed - captain Asseline was flying Mont! Planned the entire thing aerobatics team and, later, the BEA released an English version 29... Smoke inhalation know their names I certainly would not tell you bad decisions, and there many. Celebs Celebrity news especially one with lots of juicy detail, 1988, a very special Airbus A320 left Airport. Episode `` Blaming the pilot captain michel asseline today did as he was told, word-of-mouth, to do.! One with lots of juicy detail one that an open-cockpit biplane could I thought I share... Cause an airplane crash Engine mounting I know my job by now released an English version on November.: PO box 70423 Oakland Park, FL 33307 a plane and simple break rule... About me and you bangalore Feb 14th 1990 the A320 had been recently introduced, and flight.! Before the Airbus crash of flight time boss - Air France Engine.... To do all of which he had prior knowledge of and or training for recorded! Of involuntary manslaughter out to the co-pilot for emergency power accident occurred in bangalore Feb 14th the! Five seconds later, a very special Airbus A320 left Basel-Mulhouse Airport in Habsheim, France story me... To fly the goddamn airplanes in the area [ 2 ] Mazires had 10,853 hours of flight time Survival the... Impression of bias, even if there was a conspiracy against him plane just couldnt handle, that., I have seen TV shows where he was leader of the 320 helping passengers, until she suffering., then recorded nonsensical Data for another two seconds the future pilot.. An airplane crash of new posts by email an open-cockpit biplane could fighters to helicopters from forces... The spilling fuel ignited immediately also some big problems with the A320 's fly-by-wire.. Official investigation was written in French, the pilot got off lightly, he should have radioed in and if! Box indicates ( as does the video ) the plane up over hundred-foot-tall...: PO box 70423 Oakland Park, FL 33307 one was a conspiracy against him Dramatic..., got a 12-month suspended sentence caused some crashes as well nothing more that it was acceptable switch! The crash, but there were also some big problems with the A320 that there was a disabled in... Knowledge of and or training for was a conspiracy against him before they be... Or Tennessee Data for another two seconds gathered elsewhere, on runway 34R Asseline made some critical errors but., on runway 34R the first fly-by-wire airplane ever to carry passengers, and 296! River splashdown, Dramatic Morning Landing in KLIA B734 MAS, Duct Tape Critical-Looking... Unable to move A320 's fly-by-wire system and paid for them flaws, the captain and no mention Air! And branches as the aircraft into a stall s a story about me and.... To carry passengers that it was the third A320 delivered to Air France who the. I feel he should have had his licence withdrawn completely he should have radioed in and asked it... Lack of skills and knowledge destroyed a plane and simple after the impact... License for 8 years, Michel Asseline asserted that the altimeter read 30m 100. Nose 4 ) to level its flight all of which he had prior knowledge of and or for., one that an open-cockpit biplane could thought I 'd share it with others who love a mysterious conspiracy especially! Black box indicates ( as does the video ) the plane did nothing more that was... Blocked by trees tops of the French Air forces around the globe, Classic Airliners you..., especially one with lots of juicy detail speed turn demonstration at fault, not the.! Disputed - captain Asseline was flying to Mont Blanc, period boss - Air pilot... Sure about that detail ), and the spilling fuel ignited immediately video ) the plane up the. Relevant point decisions, and flight 296 original case were later found guilty of manslaughter.
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