An easyJet flight from the United Kingdom plunged into Lake Geneva within seconds of crashing, according to local reports.
The disaster was only averted when desperate Swiss air traffic controllers told the pilots to ‘check their altitude immediately’ upon noticing the impending disaster.
The plane flew from Edinburgh, Scotland to Geneva Cointrin Airport on November 5 last year, carrying 157 passengers.
While approaching runway 22 at Geneva airport, the Airbus A320 Neo sank to an unsafe altitude, meaning it was just seconds away from crashing into the water, the daily Swiss regional newspaper said. Tribune de Genève.
An ongoing investigation into the incident revealed that the aircraft was only 750 feet from the lake’s surface, while still 7.5 miles from the runway.
An easyJet flight from the United Kingdom crashed into Lake Geneva within seconds, a report has found. In the photo: an easyJet plane lands at Geneva airport (archive photo)
According to the ’24 heures’ report, the plane should have been more than three times as high at this point in its descent.
“During the approach to runway 22, the aircraft descended significantly under the glideslope and the flight crew initiated a go-around,” the Swiss Safety Investigation Service (SESE) said: Tribune de Genève reported.
SESE announced on January 16 that it would open an investigation into the incident.
At the time, she classified the incident as ‘serious’ and stated that the aircraft had sunk well below the ‘descent line’ during the approach.
The descent line is the angle an aircraft must maintain in the final stages before landing to maintain a safe altitude when approaching the runway.
The reason behind the low altitude remains unknown, reports said.
According to the report, the plane was just 230 meters above Lake Geneva when it passed Chens-sur-Léman, 12 km from the runway.
The disaster was only averted when desperate Swiss air traffic controllers told the pilots to ‘check their altitude immediately’ when they saw the impending disaster unfolding over the lake (photo, file photo), with the plane just 230 meters above the water’s surface.
Fortunately, the airport’s safety nets were working and air traffic controllers were able to spot the potential emergency and tell the crew, “Check your altitude immediately!”
By accelerating quickly, the pilots were able to avoid a collision with the water at the last second, quickly regain altitude and complete a loop over Thonon.
The pilots successfully landed the plane on their second attempt.
But if the plane had continued on its descent trajectory, it would have crashed within 30 seconds, the report found, citing air tracking website ADSBexchange.
An expert who analyzed the near miss said the geographical features of Lake Geneva and the approach could have played a role.
“The control tower instructed the plane to take one of the shortest approaches, which runs between Gland and Rolle,” the expert told Swiss news channel Blick.
This “shortcut,” they said, forces the crew to descend quickly after passing the Jura Mountains, a mountain range running along the border between France and Switzerland and north of Geneva, which any flight from Britain would have to cross to fly.
An Airbus A320 pilot who regularly flies to Geneva told 24 Heures: ‘In a situation like this you shouldn’t think: ‘you just accelerate again to gain altitude as quickly as possible’.
The plane flew from Edinburgh, Scotland to Geneva Cointrin Airport carrying 157 passengers on November 5 last year
He added that he could not explain the dangerous situation the plane was in, saying: “I don’t know what happened in the cockpit that day, but that must be the key to the explanation.”
It is understood that the pilots were absent for a short time, but are flying again.
In a statement, easyJet told MailOnline: We fully support the investigation, in accordance with procedures. At no time was the safety of those on board compromised.
“The safety and well-being of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s top priority,” the company said.