Investigation Summary
The accident occurred at night under complex traffic conditions. Streamline Aviation Flight 200, a Shorts 330 freighter, was instructed to 'line up and wait, number two' from taxiway 16. The tower controller developed an incorrect mental model, believing the Shorts 330 was positioned behind Air Liberté Flight 8807, which was at the full length of the runway. In reality, the Shorts 330 was at an intersection ahead of the MD-83. The controller subsequently cleared Flight 8807 for takeoff. As the MD-83 accelerated to approximately 155 knots, its left wing impacted the cockpit area of the Shorts 330. The investigation highlighted the dangers of bilingual (French and English) radio communications, which prevented the British crew of the Shorts 330 from fully understanding the instructions given to the French crew of the MD-83 and vice versa.
Final Conclusions
The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) concluded the primary cause was a mental model error by the controller who believed the Shorts 330 was behind the MD-83. Contributing factors included the use of two languages (French and English) on the same frequency, which reduced situational awareness, a high ATC workload, and the failure of the Shorts 330 crew to explicitly confirm their position at the intersection when lining up.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Air Liberté LIB8807 — McDonnell Douglas MD-83 · F-GHED
Streamline Aviation SSW200 — Shorts 330-200 · G-SSWN
Crew Experience
Captain
Approximately 3 years on MD-83
First Officer
Approximately 9 months on MD-83
Captain
Gary Grant
First Officer
John Andrews
Systems & Failure Modes
ATC Communications
The use of both French and English on the tower frequency was cited as a factor that prevented the crews from maintaining a shared mental model of the traffic sequence.
Airport Lighting
Limited visibility and complex lighting at the airport contributed to the controller's inability to visually verify the relative positions of the two aircraft.
Interesting Facts
- 01The MD-83 was carrying Spanish football fans returning from the 2000 UEFA Champions League Final.
- 02The collision occurred at an intersection departure point, a known factor in runway incursions.
- 03The Shorts 330 first officer had only 14 hours of experience on the aircraft type.
- 04The MD-83 was traveling at 155 knots at the moment of impact.
- 05The Shorts 330 was written off, while the MD-83 was repaired and returned to service.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Language Standardization
The BEA recommended mandatory English-only air traffic control communications at major international airports like Charles de Gaulle to improve situational awareness for international crews.
Runway Entry Verification
Stricter protocols were introduced for verifying aircraft positions during intersection departures.