Baltic BCS3 at Palanga on Jul 1st 2023, high rate of descent below minimum safe height, approach continued

Last Update: November 24, 2023 / 19:00:43 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Air Baltic YL-CSA, Airbus A220-300 — Air Baltic YL-CSA, Airbus A220-300 (Photo credit: TJDarmstadt / Flickr / License: CC by)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 1, 2023

Classification
Incident

Airline
Air Baltic

Flight number
BT-375

Departure
Riga, Latvia

Destination
Palanga, Lithuania

Aircraft Registration
YL-CSA

Aircraft Type
Airbus A220-300

ICAO Type Designator
BCS3

Airport
Palanga International Airport, Palanga

Airport ICAO Code
EYPA

An Air Baltic Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration YL-CSA performing flight BT-375 from Riga (Latvia) to Palanga (Lithuania), was on approach to Palanga's runway 19 about to perform an ILS approach. About 11.5nm before the runway at 2000 feet the crew activated the APP autopilot mode, the descent rate increased to 2950 feet per minute below 1600 feet. The crew disconnected the autopilot at 1465 feet AGL (according to RADALT), the rate of descent decreased to 500 fpm before increasing again below 1200 feet AGL. 9nm before the runway threshold, while extending the landing gear, the aircraft descended below 1000 feet AGL at 133 KIAS, at 860 feet AGL the gear was completely extended. 8nm before the runway threshold, at 216 KIAS, flaps 1 were selected, the descent rate stabilized at 700 fpm for about 25 seconds followed by a climb of about 1500 fpm up to 1300 feet, which the aircraft maintained for about 40 seconds. At 5nm before the runway threshold the aircraft began to descend again still being more than 2 dots below the glidepath. The aircraft descended through 1000 feet AGL again at 900 fpm sink rate and 2.1 dots below the glideslope at 135 KIAS. A TAWS warning sounded, the aircraft levelled off at about 880 feet, the trajectory was corrected at 2.5nm before the runway threshold and the aircraft continued for a safe landing in the runway's touch down zone.

According to information The Aviation Herald received the crew was aware of possibly false localizer signals at Palanga according to NOTAMs, however, did not discuss this possibility during their approach briefing. When the crew activated the APP mode, the aircraft captured a false localizer signal immediately followed by capturing a false glideslope signal sending the aircraft into a steep dive. The crew disconnected the autopilot at about 3000 fpm sinkrate and initiated recovery, the aircraft reached a minimum height of 800 feet and 2nm offset from the extended runway centerline about 9nm before the runway threshold. Due to loss of situational awareness the crew did not initiate a go around but continued the approach. Due to terrain there are constraints to the approach procedure designs.

Metars:
EYPA 012320Z AUTO 18006KT 9999 -UP BKN043/// 18/13 Q1000=
EYPA 012250Z AUTO 18006KT 9999 BKN049/// 18/13 Q1001=
EYPA 012220Z AUTO 20006KT 9999 BKN049/// BKN073/// 18/13 Q1001=
EYPA 012150Z AUTO 21006KT 9999 SCT048/// OVC055/// 18/13 Q1001=
EYPA 012120Z 21008KT 180V260 9999 BKN046 18/14 Q1002=
EYPA 012050Z 20006KT 9999 -RA OVC049 18/13 Q1002=
EYPA 012020Z 20007KT 9999 -RA BKN049 18/14 Q1002=
EYPA 011950Z 20006KT 9999 -RA NSC 18/14 Q1002=
EYPA 011920Z 21006KT CAVOK 18/13 Q1002=
EYPA 011850Z 20007KT CAVOK 18/13 Q1002=
EYPA 011820Z 21006KT CAVOK 19/13 Q1002=
EYPA 011750Z 22005KT 200V260 CAVOK 19/12 Q1003=
EYPA 011720Z 24005KT 210V280 CAVOK 19/12 Q1003=