Nouvel A320 at Nice on Sep 21st 2025, approached wrong runway and overflew lining up aircraft

Last Update: October 22, 2025 / 15:56:57 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Nouvelair TS-INP, Airbus A320 — Nouvelair TS-INP, Airbus A320 (Photo credit: airlines470 / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Sep 21, 2025

Classification
Incident

Airline
Nouvelair

Flight number
BJ-586

Departure
Tunis, Tunisia

Destination
Nice, France

Aircraft Registration
TS-INP

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

Airport
Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport, Nice

Airport ICAO Code
LFMN

A Nouvelair Airbus A320-200, registration TS-INP performing flight BJ-586 from Tunis (Tunisia) to Nice (France), was on approach to Nice's runway 04L but lined up for runway 04R. The aircraft continued the approach reaching the lowest point over the touch down zone of the runway before commencing a go around.

An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IJZ performing flight U2-4706 from Nice to Nantes (France), was lining up runway 04R when TS-INP overflew OE-IJZ before initiating their go around.

OE-IJZ subsequently vacated the runway via the next exit and returned to the apron, the flight was cancelled.

TS-INP climbed to 4000 feet, positioned for another approach to runway 04L and landed on that runway without further incident about 15 minutes after the go around.

According to ADS-B data TS-INP crossed the runway threshold at 50 feet AGL and initiated the go around 6 seconds later.

On Sep 22nd 2025 the French BEA announced, they have dispatched 4 investigators to Nice and opened an investigation.

On Oct 22nd 2025 the BEA released their preliminary report into the serious incident summarizing the sequence of events:

At 21:28, TS-INP passed FN04A in descent towards MN04A. The autopilot was in FINAL APP mode.

At 21:30, the TWR/APP controller cleared the crew of TS-INP to land on runway 04L and the crew read this back correctly. The aeroplane passed MN04A ( MAPt of RNP A 04L) at 2,000 ft in descent. They followed a heading of 357°. The PF disengaged the autopilot. Thirty seconds later, the PF carried out a right-hand turn from a heading of 360° to a heading of 040°. The PF reported having the runway in sight.

At 21:30:53, flight through 1,000 ft was indicated by the radio-altimeter height automatic call-out. The indicated airspeed of the aeroplane was 138 kt5 and its rate of descent 1,100 ft/min. The aeroplane was on a heading of 015° in a right-hand turn at 3.4 NM from threshold 04R.

At the same moment, the PM of OE-IJZ reported to the TWR/APP controller that they were at holding point W3 of runway 04R and ready for departure.

At 21:30:58, the TWR/APP controller asked the crew of OE-IJZ to line up on runway 04R and to hold. The crew of OE-IJZ read this back correctly.

At 21:31:25, TS-INP descended through 560 ft on a heading of 051°. The PF asked the PM to replace the flight directors (FD) with the flight path vector (Bird) on the PFD.

At 21:31:36, TS-INP was aligned with the axis of runway 04R. It descended through 527 ft at 1.8 NM from the threshold of runway 04R.

At 21:31:41, the first alert level (amber alert) of a runway incursion generated by the A-SMGCS system was activated in the control tower when OE-IJZ entered runway 04R. TS-INP was at 492 ft in descent at around 1.6 NM from the threshold of runway 04R.

At 21:31:57, the second alert level (red visual and aural warning) was activated. TS-INP was at 448 ft in descent at around 1 NM from the threshold of runway 04R.

At 21:32:05, OE-IJZ was on the threshold stripes of runway 04R in a left-hand turn to line up on the runway centreline. The PM of OE-IJZ saw TS-INP on final. He expressed his surprise at the perceived flight path. However, the crew did not identify any conflict. TS-INP was 0.7 NM from the threshold of runway 04R, descending through 278 ft with an indicated airspeed of 141 kt and a rate of descent of approximately 1,200 ft/min.

At the same time, the TWR/APP controller contacted the crew of TS-INP to confirm runway 04L, "Nouvelair 586, I confirm 04L." The crew responded that they were on short final for runway 04L, "Short final 04L." The controller again cleared the crew to land on runway 04L, "Clear to land 04L."

During this exchange, the aeroplane was approximately 0.7 NM from the threshold of runway 04R, descending from 258 to 158 ft, and continuing its descent. The 100, 50, 40, and 30 ft automatic call outs were activated in the following seconds.

At 21:32:23, TS-INP flew over OE-IJZ, which was stopped and aligned with the centreline of runway 04R. The TS-INP radio altitude value dropped from 39 ft to 10 ft in one second before rising to 24 ft in the following second.

At 21:32:25, the TWR/APP controller asked the crew of TS-INP to perform a go-around. The 20 ft and "retard" automatic call outs were activated at this time in the aeroplane. The crew of TS-INP crew carried out a missed approach.

Recorded data shows that the main landing gear of TS-INP did not touch the runway.

The crew of OE-IJZ requested clearance to return to the apron and the crew of TS-INP were radar vectored to join the approach procedure RNP Z 04L.

At 21:48, the crew of TS-INP landed on runway 04L.

Metars:
LFMN 212330Z 34017KT 9999 -TSRA FEW015 SCT030CB BKN093 20/16 Q1011 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212300Z 36013KT 330V030 9999 -TSRA FEW013 FEW030CB BKN090 20/17 Q1011 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212230Z 01012KT 9999 -TSRA FEW014 FEW030CB SCT060 BKN090 22/18 Q1012 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212200Z 35003KT 8000 -TSRA FEW023 SCT030CB BKN050 23/21 Q1013 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212130Z 12004KT 070V140 9000 -TSRA FEW023 FEW030CB BKN063 BKN090 24/19 Q1013 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212100Z 07009KT 9999 FEW020 FEW030TCU BKN090 BKN120 24/20 Q1013 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212030Z 08011KT 9999 FEW020 BKN090 BKN140 24/20 Q1013 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 212000Z 09014KT 9999 SCT016 BKN090 BKN140 24/21 Q1012 TEMPO VRB20G35KT 1500 +TSRA BKN014 BKN030CB=
LFMN 211930Z 09012KT 9999 SCT010 BKN090 BKN230 24/21 Q1012 NOSIG=
LFMN 211900Z 09014KT 9999 SCT010 BKN096 BKN230 24/22 Q1012 NOSIG=
LFMN 211830Z 09015KT 9999 SCT011 BKN100 BKN230 24/21 Q1012 NOSIG=
LFMN 211800Z 08014KT 9999 SCT011 BKN100 BKN230 24/22 Q1013 NOSIG=