Germanwings Flight 9525

Coordinates: 44°16′50″N 6°26′25″E / 44.280556°N 6.440278°E / 44.280556; 6.440278
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Germanwings Flight 9525
D-AIPX, pictured in May 2014
Occurrence
Date24 March 2015 (2015-03-24)
SummaryUnder investigation (not much information )
SitePrads-Haute-Bléone, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
44°16′50″N 6°26′25″E / 44.280556°N 6.440278°E / 44.280556; 6.440278
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAirbus A320-200
OperatorGermanwings
RegistrationD-AIPX
Flight originBarcelona–El Prat Airport, Spain
DestinationDüsseldorf Airport, Germany
Passengers144[1]
Crew6[1][2]
Fatalities150 (all)[3]
Survivors0

Germanwings Flight 9525 (4U9525/GWI9525)[a] was a scheduled international passenger flight flying from Barcelona, Spain to Düsseldorf, Germany, operated by the Lufthansa-owned low-cost airline Germanwings. On 24 March 2015, the Airbus A320-200 jetliner crashed around 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Nice, in the French Alps. All 144 passengers and six crew were killed.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a 24-year-old Airbus A320-211,[b] serial number 147, registered as D-AIPX. It first flew on 29 November 1990,[4] and was delivered to Lufthansa on 5 February 1991. It served with Germanwings for the first time in 2003. It was returned to Lufthansa in 2004 and was re-transferred to the relaunched Germanwings on 31 January 2014.[5] The aircraft had accumulated about 58,300 flight hours on 46,700 flights.[6] The original Design Service Goal (DSG) of the aircraft was 60,000 hours or 48,000 flights. In 2012, an optional Extended Service Goal (ESG1) was approved, extending the service life to 120,000 hours or 60,000 flights, provided that a required package of service and inspections were performed before the DSG was reached.[7]

Accident

Flight path

Flight 9525 took off from Runway 07R at Barcelona–El Prat Airport at around 10:01 CET (09:01 UTC) and was due to arrive at Düsseldorf Airport by 11:39 CET (10:39 UTC).[1][8] The flight's scheduled departure time was at 09:35 CET (08:35 UTC).[9]

Altitude chart (m)[10]

The French aviation authority Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC) declared the aircraft in distress after the aircraft's descent and loss of radio contact.[11][12] The aircraft reached a cruising speed of 430 kn (800 km/h; 490 mph) and an altitude of flight level 380 (approx. 38,000 ft [12,000 m]) at 10:27 CET. Three minutes later, the aircraft speed increased reaching 515 kn (954 km/h; 593 mph) after 20 seconds. At 10:31 CET, the aircraft crossed the French coast near Toulon making a slight course correction and immediately began a steep straight-line descent until it crashed. The reason behind the descent is currently unknown. The aircraft speed decreased slightly during the descent reducing from 480 to 428 kn (889 to 793 km/h; 552 to 493 mph). The aircraft crashed within the territory of the remote commune of Prads-Haute-Bléone,[failed verification] about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-west of Nice.[13][14][15] Radar contact was lost at 10:41 CET; at the time, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of about 6,800 ft (2,100 m).[16]

The crash is the deadliest air disaster in France since the crash of Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308 in 1981, in which 180 people died.[17] This was also the first major crash of a civil airliner in France since the Air France Flight 4590 Concorde crash near Paris in 2000.[18]

Crash site

The crash site is within the Massif des Trois-Évêchés and is also close to [[{{{1}}}]] [], where Air France Flight 178 crashed in 1953.[19][20]

Police and Sécurité Civile sent helicopters to locate the wreckage.[21][22] A picture from the accident site was released, with the report that the aircraft had disintegrated, the largest piece of wreckage being "the size of a car".[23] According to French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, a helicopter which landed near the site of the crash confirmed that there were no survivors.[24] The search and rescue team reported that the debris field is two square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) in size.[14] Unusually, the plane appears not to have deviated from its flight plan during its descent.[25]

The French Aviation Authority has set up temporary flight restrictions in the area surrounding the crash site.[26] The prohibited area was first set starting from 24 March at 11:47 GMT (12:47 CET) a circle radius of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) centred at 44°16′50″N 6°26′25″E / 44.28056°N 6.44028°E / 44.28056; 6.44028 staring from FL000 up to FL140.[27] Later, on 24 March at 13:38 GMT (14:38 CET), a second larger area was added to cover a radius of 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) centered at 44°16′48″N 6°26′24″E / 44.28000°N 6.44000°E / 44.28000; 6.44000 from FL000 to FL100.[28] Entry into the airspace is forbidden, except for state flights or for rescue missions.[29]

Rescue efforts were suspended overnight by the French authorities to ensure the safety of the rescuers.[30][31] Several gendarmes were posted to guard the crash site through the night.[32]

Timeline of events

Timeline of events
Elapsed
(HH:MM.ss)		 Time Event
UTC CET
(UTC+1)
-00:09 08:52 09:52 First known position on Flightradar24
00:00 09:01 10:01 Take-off from Barcelona–El Prat [33]
00:26 09:27 10:27 Flight 9525 reaches cruise altitude, flight level 380
00:29 09:30.00 10:30 Germanwings flight 4U9525, call sign "Germanwings One Eight Golf", confirmed instructions from French air traffic control
00:30 09:31 10:31 Flight 9525 begins to descend, at a rate of about 3,375 feet per minute
00:30 09:31.02 10:31.02 Flight 4U9525 leaves its assigned cruising altitude without approval and begins to descend. Radar observes an average descent rate of approximately 17.8 metres per second (3,500 feet per minute). Attempts by French air traffic control to contact the flight on the assigned radio frequency radio link are not answered
00:36 09:35.08 10:35.08 Attempts to contact the flight on the international distress frequency are also unsuccessful
00:37 09:36.00 10:36.00 French air traffic control declares an international normalized emergency according to international norms. French search and rescue services are informed. Flight 4U9525 passes through an altitude of around 7600m (25,000 feet).
00:37 09:36.47 10:36.47 French air traffic control tries one last time to contact Flight 4U9525 German Wings on the international distress frequency. There is no response
00:39 09:40:00 10:40.00 Flight 4U9525 disappears from radar. The last known altitude was about 1890m (6,200 feet)
00:40 09:41 10:41 Last known position on Flightradar24[34]
00:41 09:42:00 10:42.00 French air traffic control informs the search and rescue national control centre of the loss of radar contact
00:48 09:49:00 10:49.00 Two military search and rescue helicopters head towards the location of Flight 4U9525's final radar contact. There is no report of the aircraft's Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) being detected
01:09 10:10:00 11:10.00 The wreckage of Flight 4U9525 is identified by search and rescue helicopters

Timeline based to Flightradar24 data and Bild published this timeline of what it says happened to the Airbus. [35]

Passengers and crew

People on board by nationality[36]
Nationality No.
 Germany 72[37]
 Spain 35[38]
 Kazakhstan 3[39]
 Mexico 3[40]
 United Kingdom 3[41]
 Argentina 2[42]
 Australia 2[43]
 Colombia 2[44]
 Iran 2[45]
 Japan 2[46]
 Morocco 2[47]
 United States 2[48]
 Venezuela 2[49]
 Belgium 1[50]
 Denmark 1[51]
 Israel 1[52]
 Netherlands 1[53]
 Turkey 1[54]
Unknown 13
Total 150

144 passengers and six crew members were on board, the vast majority being German and Spanish nationals[36] but from at least 18 nations in total. The count may be confused due to dual-citizenship.[55] Amongst them were 16 schoolchildren and two teachers from the [[{{{1}}}]] [], Haltern am See, North Rhine-Westphalia. They were on their way home from a student exchange with the Giola Institute in Llinars del Vallès, Catalonia.[56] Haltern's mayor, [[{{{1}}}]] [], has described it as "the darkest day in the history of our city."[57]

A Germanwings representative announced that the captain had 10 years of flying experience (6000 flight hours)[16] with Germanwings and Lufthansa.[58]

The Deutsche Oper am Rhein confirmed that bass-baritone Oleg Bryzhak was among the passengers,[59] as was German contralto Maria Radner.[60] Members of the Dalkurd FF football team were booked to be on the flight but changed at the last moment.[61]

Investigation

The French national civil aviation enquiries bureau, Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA), has opened an investigation into the crash, joined by its German counterpart, the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation (BFU). On 24 March, the BEA sent seven investigators to the crash site, accompanied by representatives from Airbus and CFM International. The BEA will hold a press conference on 25 March from 16h to 16h45.[62][63]

The cockpit voice recorder was recovered by rescue workers and is being examined by the investigation team.[64][65] The recorder was damaged in the crash, but was said to be still in a "usable" condition.[25] BEA has released photos of the recovered cockpit voice recorder.[66] The missing Data Recorder has been found, but its severly damaged and missing memmory chips.

Response

The French Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve remarked that due to the "violence of the impact" there was "little hope" that any survivors would be found,[67] while French President François Hollande called the crash a tragedy.[17] Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he had dispatched Interior Minister Cazeneuve to the scene and set-up a ministerial crisis cell to co-ordinate the incident.[68]

King Felipe VI of Spain, in Paris for a state visit to France at the time of the crash, announced his decision to cut his visit short and return to Spain.[36]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that she would travel to the crash site on 25 March together with Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Hannelore Kraft.[69][70] Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier flew over the crash site on 24 March, describing it as "a picture of horror".[68]

Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr announced plans to visit the site of the crash, and called the day of the accident a "dark day for Lufthansa".[13]

Germanwings reported occasional flight disruptions within its route network due to crew members deciding not to operate aircraft following the accident. As a result some flights had to be cancelled.[71]

On 25 March, Germanwings retired the flight number 4U9525, changing it to 4U9441. The outbound flight number was also changed, from 4U9524 to 4U9440. The flight numbers for the later Dusseldorf to Barcelona flight were unchanged.[72]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Abbreviated forms of the flight name combine the airline's IATA airline code (4U) or ICAO airline code (GWI) with the flight number.
  2. ^ The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 model; the 11 specifies it Remko was fitted with CFM International CFM56-5A1 engines.

References

  1. ^ a b c que l'on sait du crash de l'Airbus A320 entre Digne et Barcelonnette/societe/un-avion-a320-s-ecrase-dans-le-sud-de-la-france-871170.html "Ce que l'on sait du crash de l'Airbus A320 entre Digne et Barcelonnette" (in French). BFMTV. Retrieved 24 March 2015. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ 150 feared dead after plane crashes in French Alps. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Confirmed by Police". News 24. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  4. ^ "4U9525 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. ^ "D-AIPX Germanwings Airbus A320-211 - cn 147". Planespotters.net.[unreliable source?]
  6. ^ Engel, Pamela; Kelley, Michael B. (24 March 2015). "A plane with 150 people aboard crashed in France — no survivors expected". Business Insider. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Lufthansa Technik New Life for the A320, pg 20" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Germanwings (4U) #9525 ✈ 24-Mar-2015 ✈ LEBL / BCN – EDDL / DUS". FlightAware. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  9. ^ "(4U) Germanwings 9525 Flight Status". Flightstats. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  10. ^ "D-AIPX - Germanwings - Aircraft info and flight history - Flightradar24". flightradar24.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  11. ^ "Germanwings flight 4U9525 crashes in French Alps with 150 on board – live updates". The Guardian.
  12. ^ "Airbus crash latest coverage". BBC News.
  13. ^ a b "Germanwings Airbus crashes in French Alps, 150 dead". Reuters. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  14. ^ a b "German Airbus A320 plane crashes in French Alps". theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  15. ^ Withnall, Adam (24 March 2015). "A320 crashes: Germanwings Flight down in southern France". The Independent. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Crash: Germanwings A320 near Barcelonnette on Mar 24th 2015, lost height and impacted terrain". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Germanwings Airbus Carrying 150 Crashes in French Alps". The New York Times. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  18. ^ "French Alps plane crash: Germanwings crew 'did not send distress signal'". independent.co.uk. Independent Digital News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  19. ^ "Analysis: Crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 - Investigation and Latest Responses". Friedlnews. 25 March 2015.
  20. ^ Dominic Gover (24 March 2015). "Germanwings Flight 4U9525 crashed in identical spot as 1953 air disaster in French Alps near Barcelonette". International Business Times.
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  23. ^ "BREAKING Crash of an A320 in south of France - more details". Airlive. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  24. ^ "150 killed in French Alps aircrash". Echo. Press Association. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  25. ^ a b "French Interior Minister says crashed Germanwings plane's voice recorder damaged, but 'usable'". Fox News. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  26. ^ "Image which shows first 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) temporary flight restriction area, accident location and flightpath from flightradar24".
  27. ^ "First temporary flight restriction at accident area". Notaminfo.com. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  28. ^ "Second temporary flight restriction at accident area". Notaminfo.com. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  29. ^ "NOTAM LFFA-R0750/15 A) LFMM MARSEILLE FIR B) 2015 Mar 24 19:50 C) 2015 Mar 28 12:59 E) TEMPORARY PROHIBITED AREA OVER VERNET VILLAGE - RDL 230/10NM BARCELONNETTE SAINT PONS AD (LFMR) PSN: CIRCLE OF 10NM RADIUS CENTRED ON 441648N 0062624E ENTRY FORBIDDEN EXCEPT FOR STATE FLIGHTS OR FOR RESCUE MISSIONS. F) SFC G) 10000FT AMSL". The Aeronautical Information Service (SIA). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 7 (help)
  30. ^ "Germanwings crash: search suspended". euronews. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
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  34. ^ "Last position of Germanwings flight". Flightradar24. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  35. ^ "Bild timeline of Germanwings flight". Bild. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  36. ^ a b c "Airbus A320 Crash in France". BBC News. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  37. ^ "Live: 72 deutsche Opfer bei Germanwings-Absturz". n-tv. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  38. ^ "72 Deutsche waren an Bord der Unglücksmaschine". FAZ.net. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  39. ^ "На борту разбившегося во Франции самолета находились трое граждан Казахстана" (in Russian). Interfax. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ El Financiero (24 March 2015). "Serían tres los mexicanos que viajaban en el avión de Germanwings" [There would be three Mexicans traveling in the plane of Germanwings]. elfinanciero.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2015.
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  42. ^ "Habría dos argentinos en el avión que cayó en Francia". Clarín (in Spanish). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ "Aussies onboard". The Guardian. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  44. ^ "Dos colombianos viajaban en el avión que chocó en los Alpes franceses". Caracol Radio (in Spanish). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  45. ^ "Tasnim Reporter Among Germanwings Crash Victims". Tasnim News Agency. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  46. ^ "ドイツ機墜落 日本人２人の名前発表" [German plane crash 2 Japanese names announced]. NHK (in Japanese). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  47. ^ "ثنائي مغربي ضمن ضحايا الطائرة المتحطّمة على التراب الفرنسي" [Two Moroccan victims were in the plane that crashed on French soil]. hespress.com (in Arabic). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  48. ^ "Germanwings CEO: Americans on board crashed flight". CBS News. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  49. ^ "Germanwings Flight 4U9525 victims include opera singers, high school students". cbc.ca. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  50. ^ Redactie (24 March 2015). "Belg onder doden vliegtuigcrash". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  51. ^ Gudmund de Stordeur (24 March 2015). "Dansker blandt de omkomne i flystyrt" [Dane died in plane crash]. nyhederne.tv2.dk (in Danish). TV 2. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  52. ^ Itamar Eichner (24 March 2015). "Israeli among 150 killed in Germanwings crash named". www.ynetnews.com. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  53. ^ "Zeker één Nederlandse dode bij crash Frankrijk". nos.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  54. ^ "One Turkish-German among 150 victims in Germanwings plane crash". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  55. ^ "Germanwings Flight 9525 crash: 2 Americans among 150 killed". AL.com. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  56. ^ "Germanwings A320 Crash Victims Include 15 German Schoolchildren, Local Media Reports". International Business Times. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
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  58. ^ "Alps plane crash: What we know". BBC News. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
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  60. ^ John Shammas (24 March 2015). "Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash: First pictures of opera singers Maria Radner and Oleg Bryjak among 150 dead". mirror. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  61. ^ "Germanwings plane crash: Two Australians among 150 victims of Airbus A320 crash, which included 16 school children". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
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  66. ^ ["http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/vol.gwi18g/mediatheque.php" "BEA France releases photos of Cockpit Voice Recorder"]. Retrieved 25 March 2015. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
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  68. ^ a b "Germanwings airliner crashes in French Alps". BBC News. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
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  71. ^ "Current information - Information - Germanwings". germanwings.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  72. ^ "germanwings Retires Flight Number 4U9525; New Flight Numbers from 25MAR15". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 25 March 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Germanwings Flight 9525.
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