Air France Flight 296Q Crash & Aftermath Footage | 26 June 1988 Habsheim, France

Accident Description:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfRAyKWvU...

𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟮𝟵𝟲 was a demonstration flight of an Airbus A320 (Reg. F-GFKC) on 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟲, 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟴.

The Mulhouse Flying Club had requested Air France to perform a fly by at their air show at Mulhouse–Habsheim Airfield. Air France prepared a low speed pass with the gear down at 100 feet and the another pass at high speed in clean configuration. While Air France had performed more than 20 low passes since 1987, the altitude of 100 feet was not allowed according to regulations. French air safety regulations imposed a minimum VFR overflight height of 170 feet. The flight crew scheduled to perform the demonstration flight were two captains: the head of A320 training subdivision (Pilot Flying (PF)) and a captain participating in the placing into service of the A320 (Pilot Monitoring (PM)). On board the flight were 4 cabin crew members and 130 passengers.

The plane took off from nearby Basel–Mulhouse Airport at 14:41 and climbed to 1,000 feet. The crew started the descent three minutes later and Habsheim was in sight at 450 feet. The PM informed the PF that the plane was reaching 100 feet at 14:45:14. The descent continued to 50 feet 8 seconds later and further to 30-35 feet. Go-around power was added at 14:45:35. The A320 continued and touched trees approximately 60 meters from the end of runway 34R at 14:45:40 with a 14° pitch attitude and engines at 83% N1. The plane sank slowly into the forest and a fire broke out. 3 passengers were killed.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀:
"The Commission believes that the accident resulted from the combination of the following conditions: 1) very low flyover height, lower than surrounding obstacles; 2) speed very slow and reducing to reach maximum possible angle of attack; 3) engine speed at flight idle; 4) late application of go-around power. This combination led to impact of the aircraft with the trees. The Commission believes that if the descent below 100 feet was not deliberate, it may have resulted from failure to take proper account of the visual and aural information intended to give the height of the aircraft."