Shenzhen A320 at Hong Kong on Jun 26th 2016, below minimum safe altitude during go around and unexpected 360

Last Update: July 13, 2016 / 16:57:14 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jun 26, 2016

Classification
Incident

Airline
Shenzhen Airlines

Flight number
ZH-9041

Departure
Jinjiang, China

Destination
Hong Kong, China

Aircraft Registration
B-6749

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

A Shenzhen Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration B-6749 performing flight ZH-9041 from Jinjiang to Hong Kong (China), was on final approach to Hong Kong's runway 07L, when approach instructed the crew to reduce to minimum approach speed, the crew queried whether they had 3nm separation to the previous traffic. Just in the moment when approach wanted to hand the aircraft off to tower the crew decided to go around and declined the hand off. The crew initiated an immediate right hand climbing turn short of runway 07L/07R due to a departure climbing out of runway 07R, tower instructed that departing aircraft to stop climb at 3000 feet immediately, ZH-9041 climbed over the terrain of Lantau Island (peak 3066 feet MSL) near the Buddha statue (elevation of top of statue 2519 feet) at about 3000 feet (MSA 4300 feet), approach instructed the flight to expedite the climb through 5000 feet, the aircraft climbed out to safety at 6000 feet doing a 360, then followed the missed approach procedure and was vectored for another approach to runway 07L. The aircraft landed safely on runway 07L about 20 minutes after going around.

A ground observer hiking below the Buddha Statue at that time observed ZH-9041 abort the approach and turn towards the Island, took a photograph of the aircraft and commented: "Can't imagine that this was ATC sanctioned in any way!!!" He estimated the aircraft was at about 3000 feet near the Buddha (confirmed by radar data) while climbing.

On Jun 28th 2016 Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department (CAD) confirmed the occurrence and stated, that after the aircraft deviated from normal procedures air traffic control immediately issued corrective instructions to climb the aircraft to safe altitude. The CAD opened an investigation and requested a report from the airline.

On Jun 30th 2016 a reader made The Aviation Herald aware that an important transmission clarifies why the Shenzhen crew made a right hand turn. Following the crew announcing their go-around at 01:55:50Z (the transmission collided with another aircraft's transmission and was initially missed by approach, who acknowledged only a second transmission announcing the go-around) approach instructed at 01:56:30Z: "Saudia Niner Eight Six, turn right heading tree five zero" and at 01:56:34Z received a readback: "Turn heading tree four zero Shenzhen niner zero four one". Both readback errors were missed by the approach controller, who did not correct the readback.

On Jul 13th 2016 Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department (CAD) reported that the crew mistook the instruction for another aircraft as instruction to them, which caused the deviation from the standard missed approach procedure. The flight crew remains suspended while the investigation is ongoing. The airline is already implementing immediate safety measures to improve pilot training and safe guard flights to Hong Kong.
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jun 26, 2016

Classification
Incident

Airline
Shenzhen Airlines

Flight number
ZH-9041

Departure
Jinjiang, China

Destination
Hong Kong, China

Aircraft Registration
B-6749

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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