Investigation Summary
The flight was part of a controversial operation to export live veal calves from the UK to continental Europe, a practice that had faced intense public protest and led to the use of chartered aircraft from outside the UK. Information about Phoenix Aviation is scant: they had little or no public presence, but they brokered deals between cargo companies and African airlines. Many UK-based companies refused to do the work, as a result of which Air Algérie became involved, only to provide a plane with a crew who lacked critical training and equipment that was functionally incompatible with the airport's systems. Although the aircraft was equipped with 40-channel ILS receivers, they were not paired with the required 40-channel control box, rendering the ILS unusable for the Coventry runway. The investigation revealed significant regulatory oversight failures; the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was largely unaware of the aircraft's presence and the operation bypassed several standard safety checks, effectively operating in violation of UK law regarding visibility minimums. On the day of the accident, the crew was operating their fifth flight segment in a 10-hour duty period that had begun the previous night. After a failed attempt to land earlier that morning and a diversion to East Midlands Airport, the crew returned to Coventry as visibility slightly improved. However, the required RVR for the approach had increased to 1,500 metres because the airport had not been given sufficient notice to set up specialized radar equipment, yet the crew attempted the approach with an RVR of only 1,100 metres. During the final approach, the crew failed to cross-check their altimeters or call out the MDH, likely due to extreme fatigue and the high workload of the short 14-minute flight from East Midlands.
Final Conclusions
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded that the primary cause was the flight crew's decision to descend below the Minimum Descent Height without having the required visual reference of the runway or approach lighting. Contributing factors included the crew's failure to cross-check altimeter indications, the lack of a required MDH call-out by the non-handling pilot, and significant impairment of the crew's performance due to fatigue. The investigation also highlighted that the aircraft's navigation equipment was not compatible with the airport's ILS, necessitating the more difficult SRA procedure in marginal weather conditions.
Video Analysis
Flying Between The Houses (Air Algerie Flight 702P) DISASTER BREAKDOWN — A detailed analysis of the Air Algérie Flight 702P crash in Coventry, examining the controversial livestock transport context, the crew's fatigue, and the technical failures during the final radar approach.
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Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Ahmed Nemdil, age 44
First Officer
Nasreddine Hantour, age 35
Systems & Failure Modes
Surveillance Radar Approach (SRA)
A non-precision approach where an air traffic controller uses radar to provide the pilot with distance from touchdown and azimuth (heading) instructions, along with advisory heights for a 3-degree glidepath.
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
While the aircraft had 40-channel ILS receivers, they were not connected to a compatible 40-channel control box, making it impossible to tune to the ILS frequency at Coventry.
Altimeters
The crew failed to cross-check their altimeter readings during the descent, leading to an undetected descent below the safe minimum altitude.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crew had been on duty for 10 hours and were on their fifth flight segment of the night.
- 02The aircraft was not equipped to receive the newer ILS signals at Coventry Airport.
- 03The Minimum Descent Height (MDH) for the approach was not called out by the First Officer.
- 04The aircraft struck a pylon 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from the runway threshold.
- 05The flight was carrying live animals (veal calves) for export to the Netherlands.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Flight Duty Time Regulations
The investigation highlighted the dangers of fatigue in multi-sector overnight cargo operations, leading to renewed focus on crew rest requirements.
GPWS Configuration Limitations
The AAIB report noted that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) did not provide a warning because the aircraft was in the landing configuration (gear down and flaps 15 or greater). This highlighted a limitation where GPWS could not prevent CFIT during the final stages of a stabilized but low approach.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Live Animal Export Protests
Reference ↗The flight was part of a highly contentious trade in live veal calves. Protesters at Coventry Airport had been demonstrating for weeks against the exports, leading to a heavy police presence. Following the crash, animal rights activists argued that the pressure to maintain these flights despite poor weather and local opposition contributed to the safety lapses. A protester, Jill Phipps, was later killed at the airport during a similar export operation in February 1995.