On 27 June 2016, an Airbus A319 narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with an AS532 Cougar helicopter whose single transponder had failed earlier whilst conducting a local pre-delivery test flight whilst both were positioning visually as cleared to land at Marseille and after the helicopter had also temporarily disappeared from primary radar. Neither aircraft crew had detected the other prior to their tracks crossing at a similar altitude. The Investigation attributed the conflict to an inappropriate ATC response to the temporary loss of radar contact with the helicopter aggravated by inaccurate position reports and non-compliance with the aerodrome circuit altitude by the helicopter crew.
Description
On 27 June 2016, an Airbus A319 (F-GRHX) being operated by Air France on a scheduled passenger flight from Bordeaux to Marseille as HOP25PG and an Airbus Helicopters AS 532 Cougar (F-ZWBS) being operated under VFR on a test flight prior to delivery came into close proximity whilst visually positioning in Class ‘D’ airspace to land on runways 31L and 31R at Marseille in day VMC. Neither aircraft was aware of the other until the helicopter had crossed beneath the A319 at which point the A319 reported having sighted it. After the minimum separation of 0.19 nm laterally and 240 feet vertically, both aircraft subsequently completed their respective approaches and landed without further event.
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