Accident
Flight JP 1308 took off from Ljubljana Airport (then Brnik Airport) at 06:41, [1] [2] : 4 on a chartered flight from Slovenia (at the time Yugoslavia) to Corsica's capital city of Ajaccio with 173 Slovenian passengers and 7 crew members. [2] : 3 At 07:08, the aircraft was in Italian airspace when the controller in Padua contacted a colleague in Ajaccio and requested the actual weather report. The southwest (240°) moderate wind was blowing at the airport at that time 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and the sky was covered with separate clouds. When the pilots received weather reports, they decided to land on runway 03, while the captain clarified that if the wind increased, they would fly around for inspection. At 07:28 the plane entered the zone of the control center in Rome and the flight was cleared to descend to flight level FL 270 (27,000 feet (8,200 m). The crew asked whether or not they were cleared to descend. The controller told the crew that they were not cleared, and the crew acknowledged the transmission, thanking the controller. [2] : 4
At 07:31, the controller again cleared flight 1308 to descend to FL270, which the crew acknowledged, reporting that they were leaving FL330 (33,000 feet (10,000 m)) and beginning to descend. The controller also clarified that the flight would be cleared to descend to FL190 (19,000 feet (5,800 m)) after passing Elbe. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recorded a sound similar to the activation of the "Fasten seat belt" sign and captain Kunović instructed first officer Terglav to calculate the landing parameters. A flight attendant entered the cockpit and asked to reduce the temperature in the cabin, which the first officer did. At 07:33, the controller cleared Flight 1308 to descend to FL 190 at Bastia. After re-checking the calculations, the commander and co-pilot determined the approach speeds as 221, 170, 148 and 124 knots (409, 315, 274 and 230 km/h; 254, 196, 170 and 143 mph). At some point, first officer Terglav let his young son enter the cockpit, as a child's voice was heard asking when the aircraft would descend. [1] [2] : 18
At 07:35, the crew entered the air traffic control space in Marseille and subsequently established radio contact at 07:35:50, reporting the passage of flight level (FL) 210 and descending to 190 in the direction of Ajaccio, after which he requested permission for a further reduction. In response, the controller instructed them to maintain FL 190 (19,000 feet (5,800 m)) to Bastia and to "squawk" 5200 on its transponder, since the direct route to Ajaccio went close to the closed LFR 65 airspace, and this manoeuvre would bypass it. At 07:40:35, the crew reported on staying at FL 190 50 miles (80 km) from Ajaccio and again requested permission to descend, to which the controller cleared them to descend to FL 110 (11,000 feet (3,400 m)). Giving permission to descend, the controller used non-standard terminology, "cleared down 110", to which the crew later discussed in the cockpit. Then the crew reviewed the approach procedure for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) on runway 03. In this process, during the preparatory procedure, the child was heard twice, speaking about observing a mountain similar to Servin; according to the investigation, it was of the Monte Cinto array. [2] : 4–5
Focusing on the level of the airport, which is 52 feet (16 m), the crew set the decision height to 643 feet (196 m). At 07:43:57 the captain reported reaching FL 110 at a distance of 28 miles (24 nmi; 45 km) and on a VOR Ajaccio. Further, at 07:47:10, the captain contacted the Ajaccio approach controller for the first time, reporting "Bonjour Ajaccio, Adria JP 1308, we're level 110, approaching Ajaccio VOR and further descent." Ajaccio approach controller instructed that flight JP 1308 would be landing on runway 21, instructed to keep 110 on the VOR Ajaccio and passed the weather report: atmospheric pressure (QNH) 1009, airfield pressure (QFE) 1008, wind 280° at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).
At 07:49:31 JP 1308 informed the Ajaccio approach controller, "Just now Ajaccio VOR, level is 110 in holding pattern." At 07:49:36 the Ajaccio approach controller responded, "Report leaving Alpha Juliet Oscar on radial 247 for final approach". Capt. Kunović responded at 07:49:44 – "Okay sir, we're just over Ajaccio VOR and we're requesting further descent." This began the chain of misunderstandings between the Ajaccio approach controller and the JP 1308's crew, as the Ajaccio approach controller appeared to believe that JP 1308 would skip the holding pattern and proceed to a direct approach on radial 247 from AJO VOR, as done by many pilots making the same approach. Capt. Kunović, on the other hand, who had never flown to Ajaccio before, entered a holding pattern over AJO VOR. The Jeppesen map showed a holding pattern with an airspeed of 150 knots (280 km/h; 170 mph), while JP 1308's IAS was around 230–250 knots (430–460 km/h; 260–290 mph), which dramatically increased the radius of the holding pattern.
Believing that JP 1308 was flying on radial 247 outbound from AJO VOR, the approach controller approved descent at 07:49:52 – "1308, you are cleared to descent 3000, QNH 1009, on the radial 247 Alpha Juliet Oscar, report leaving Ajaccio." Here the approach controller unnecessarily complicated his instruction by adding QNH 1009 (a redundant piece of information he had already provided to JP 1308), but this was not critical, only somewhat increasing the mental load of the crew. The critical issue was that JP 1308 was not on radial 247 out from AJO VOR, as the approach controller believed, but in AJO VOR holding pattern with minimum holding altitude (MHA) of 6,800 feet (2,100 m). Approving descent (and subsequently descending) to 3,000 feet (910 m) was a serious misunderstanding, ultimately leading to the crash. JP 1308's crew failed to understand two crucial pieces of information: that the approach controller cleared them to descend on AJO VOR radial 247, not in the holding pattern, and that their holding pattern's MHA was 6,800 ft.
At 07:50:05 Capt. Kunović responded, "Roger, will do, and we're leaving 11 for 3000, radial 247 out of one one zero QNH, repeat again, one zero zero nine." Using the vague term radial 247 reinforced the approach controller's belief that JP 1308 was skipping the AJO VOR holding pattern and continuing to a direct approach. In addition, it can be observed here that repeated info on QNH by the approach controller was completely unnecessary and increased the crew's mental load, as Capt. Kunović first made a read back mistake and then corrected it by repeating the right QNH. This was a relatively minor miscommunication, but still contributed to the confusion on the flight deck and at ATC.
At 07:50:19 Capt. Kunović informs the approach controller – "We're in holding over Ajaccio, call you inbound on radial 247." At this time, the approach controller failed to notice that JP 1308 was in its holding pattern over AJO VOR, not on radial 247 outbound from AJO VOR as he believed, and responds at 07:50:28 with a plain "roger." This is the third main understanding, and at this point, the ensuing disaster still could have been avoided if ATC were to notice the discrepancy between the flight's pattern and its directions. Neither the approach controller nor the JP 1308's crew understood the situation in time.
At 07:52:15 Capt. Kunović radioed, "We're rolling inbound, out of 6000." and the approach controller responded with, "Roger 1308, report turning inbound." Kunović meant that the plane was turning left in the holding pattern towards AJO VOR, but the approach controller thought he meant that the JP 1308 was turning inbound over the sea towards Ajaccio Airport.
The last transmission from JP 1308 was received at 07:52:25 when Capt. Kunović reported, "Turning inbound to Ajaccio because at the moment we're in cloud."
At 07:52:30 the approach controller, still believing that JP 1308 was turning inbound to Ajaccio Airport and entering its final approach, responded "Roger 1308, report Charlie Tango on final, surface wind 280°/20kts." This was the final point at which JP 1308's crew still had a chance to avert the impending disaster. Starting from 07:52:43, the FDR recorded turbulent flows as the aircraft was flying above mountain peaks of 1,000–2,500 feet (300–760 m). The CVR recorded surprise at the mention of CT NDB by ATC, causing crew confusion; at 07:53:08, the CVR recorded the GPWS sounding – "TERRAIN, TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL-UP, PULL-UP, …"
Surprised by the alert, JP 1308's crew failed to execute evasive manoeuvres for the next 9 seconds. At 07:53:17, Capt. Kunović ordered, "POWER!" Three seconds later, at 07:53:20, the aircraft's left wing struck a barren surface near the top of Mont San-Pietro at 4,464 feet (1,361 m). With 8.5 metres (28 ft) of the left wing sheared off, the aircraft rolled upside down, entered into an uncontrolled dive and violently crashed into the gorge on the other side of the mountain eight seconds later, killing everyone on board. The time of the accident was 7:53 a.m. local time (07:53 UTC). [2] : 3, 6
At 07:53:21 a four-second transmission from JP 1308, containing only a whistling sound, sounded in the Ajaccio approach control room. The approach controller tried to contact the crew, with no response, three consecutive times afterwards. The controller then notified emergency services.
