Final Report A319 (F-GRHX) & AS32 (F-ZWBS), vicinity Marseille France, 27 June 2016
Final Report A319 (F-GRHX) & AS32 (F-ZWBS), vicinity Marseille France, 27 June 2016
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 some lack of professionalism on the part of its crew.







