Cairo A20N at Hanover on Oct 14th 2023, temporary runway excursion on landing

Last Update: February 1, 2024 / 18:16:53 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Air Cairo SU-BUM, Airbus A320-200N — Air Cairo SU-BUM, Airbus A320-200N (Photo credit: Anna Zvereva / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 14, 2023

Classification
Incident

Airline
Air Cairo

Flight number
SM-2934

Departure
Hurghada, Egypt

Destination
Hanover, Germany

Aircraft Registration
SU-BUM

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320-200N

ICAO Type Designator
A20N

Airport
Hannover Airport, Hannover

Airport ICAO Code
EDDV

An Air Cairo Airbus A320-200N, registration SU-BUM performing flight SM-2934 (dep Oct 13th) from Hurghada (Egypt) to Hanover (Germany) with 172 passengers and 9 crew, landed on Hanover's runway 27L at 03:32L (01:32Z) but temporarily veered left off the runway. The aircraft returned onto the runway center line and stopped on the runway. After a brief stop the aircraft taxied to the apron.

The aircraft remained on the ground in Hanover until October 25th 2023, then positioned to Cairo and is now still on the ground in Cairo about 19.5 hours after landing in Cairo.

On Oct 26th 2023 Germany's BFU reported the occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated. The aircraft sustained minor damage when it suffered a runway excursion.

On Feb 1st 2024 the BFU reported in their preliminary report that the captain was pilot flying and the first officer was pilot monitoring. The crew decided for an ILS approach to runway 27L because a thunderstorm cell was closing in towards the approach path of runway 27R, that the crew had intended to land on. While intercepting the localizer for runway 27L the crew observed an area of rain and turbulence nearing their approach path on the weather radar, ATC reported the cell was already overhead the aerodrome, visibility was down to 3400 meters, there were headwinds almost along the runway of 23 knots gusting up to 34 knots. The aircraft received landing clearance and was descending on the glideslope with the runway lights in sight. Gear was down and full flaps extended at 2350 feet MSL, autobrakes were set to MED and ground spoilers were armed. Both autopilots and flight directors were active in LOC and G/S modes, autothrust was in managed speed.

Descending through 500 feet AGL rain started, the windscreen wipers were selected on at fast speed. At 260 feet AGL the autopilots were disengaged, autothrust remained engaged. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at 36 feet AGL at 132 KIAS about 4 meters to the left of the runway centerline. The crew said that at this time the visibility was good and the runway was clearly visible. However, in the flare the rain intensity increased and visibility reduced, the windscreen wipers were no longer able to clear the water off the windscreen, the center line and edge lights became blurred. The captain stated that it is possible therefore that he confused the runway edge lights for the runway center line lights. According to FDR the flare lasted for 11 seconds, the first officer called out "Bank" after the bank angle increased from 2 degrees left to 5 degrees left. The left main gear touched down first on the grass besides the runway, the right main gear touched down on the runway shortly afterwards before going off the paved surface of the runway, too. The captain used right rudder and the LOC indication to steer the aircraft back onto the runway, the visibility improved again and sight onto the runway became sufficient again, so that the captain steered the aircraft back onto the center line visually. The maximum distance of the left main gear to the runway center line was 33 meters (100 feet).

Metars:
EDDV 140320Z AUTO 27010KT 9999 -RADZ SCT008 BKN027 BKN040 13/12 Q1000=
EDDV 140250Z AUTO 30006KT 270V330 9999 -RA FEW013 13/12 Q0999 RESHRA=
EDDV 140220Z AUTO 32015KT 300V010 8000 SHRA VCTS SCT011 BKN018 BKN048 FEW///CB 13/12 Q0999=
EDDV 140150Z AUTO 26015KT 9999 +SHRA FEW004 SCT034 BKN044 FEW///CB 15/15 Q0997=
EDDV 140120Z AUTO 26019G35KT 200V300 4100 SHRA VCTS BKN035 SCT///CB 17/15 Q0998=
EDDV 140050Z AUTO 22016G27KT 180V260 9999 FEW042 19/15 Q0997=
EDDV 140020Z AUTO 22015G25KT 180V250 9999 SCT033 BKN042 19/15 Q0997=
EDDV 132350Z AUTO 22012KT 180V260 9999 BKN040 18/15 Q0998=
EDDV 132320Z AUTO 21011KT 180V240 9999 FEW027 SCT046 18/15 Q0998 RESHRA=
EDDV 132250Z AUTO 20006KT 160V220 9999 -SHRA FEW030 BKN045 FEW///TCU 17/15 Q0999 RESHRA=
EDDV 132220Z AUTO 22010KT 180V240 9999 SHRA FEW035 BKN047 FEW///TCU 17/15 Q1000=
EDDV 132150Z AUTO 24010KT 9999 -RA SCT043 18/15 Q1001 RESHRA=