Description

On 7 September 2010, a Boeing 737-400 being operated by Turkish carrier Tailwind Airlines on behalf of Tunis Air on a scheduled passenger flight from Tunis to Lyon was instructed to make of go around by ATC when an Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) Alert was generated because of the proximity of the aircraft to terrain whilst it was making a LOC/DME approach to runway 36R in day Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The go around and subsequent approach and landing were uneventful.

Investigation

An Investigation was begun by the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) upon being informed, late, of the occurrence. It transpired that following the event, ANSP staff had complied an incident report which did not include the aircraft registration marking and then sent this to the BEA the next day as the means of notification. The Investigation noted that “this delay prevented the BEA from removing the flight recorders and obtaining the testimony of the crew, who left with the aircraft later (the same day)”. However after some difficulty in establishing the identify of the aircraft operator, assistance from the Tunisian authorities, from which country the aircraft had been on short term lease to the Turkish airline involved, was obtained, in particular QAR data which included the event was supplied. It was noted that “the Turkish authorities did not respond to the request from the BEA investigators to arrange meetings with the crew and executives of the airline (involved).”