BJ586 - Incident: Nouvel A320 at Nice on Sep 21st 2025

A Nouvelair Airbus A320-200, registration TS-INP performing flight BJ-586 from Tunis (Tunisia) to Nice (France), was on approach to Nice's runway 04L but lined up for runway 04R. The aircraft continued the approach reaching the lowest point over the touch down zone of the runway before commencing a go around.

An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IJZ performing flight U2-4706 from Nice to Nantes (France), was lining up runway 04R when TS-INP overflew OE-IJZ before initiating their go around.

OE-IJZ subsequently vacated the runway via the next exit and returned to the apron, the flight was cancelled.

TS-INP climbed to 4000 feet, positioned for another approach to runway 04L and landed on that runway without further incident about 15 minutes after the go around.

According to ADS-B data TS-INP crossed the runway threshold at 50 feet AGL and initiated the go around 6 seconds later.

On Sep 22nd 2025 the French BEA announced, they have dispatched 4 investigators to Nice and opened an investigation.

On Oct 22nd 2025 the BEA released their preliminary report into the serious incident summarizing the sequence of events:

At 21:28, TS-INP passed FN04A in descent towards MN04A. The autopilot was in FINAL APP mode.

At 21:30, the TWR/APP controller cleared the crew of TS-INP to land on runway 04L and the crew read this back correctly. The aeroplane passed MN04A ( MAPt of RNP A 04L) at 2,000 ft in descent. They followed a heading of 357°. The PF disengaged the autopilot. Thirty seconds later, the PF carried out a right-hand turn from a heading of 360° to a heading of 040°. The PF reported having the runway in sight.

At 21:30:53, flight through 1,000 ft was indicated by the radio-altimeter height automatic call-out. The indicated airspeed of the aeroplane was 138 kt5 and its rate of descent 1,100 ft/min. The aeroplane was on a heading of 015° in a right-hand turn at 3.4 NM from threshold 04R.

At the same moment, the PM of OE-IJZ reported to the TWR/APP controller that they were at holding point W3 of runway 04R and ready for departure.

At 21:30:58, the TWR/APP controller asked the crew of OE-IJZ to line up on runway 04R and to hold. The crew of OE-IJZ read this back correctly.

At 21:31:25, TS-INP descended through 560 ft on a heading of 051°. The PF asked the PM to replace the flight directors (FD) with the flight path vector (Bird) on the PFD.

At 21:31:36, TS-INP was aligned with the axis of runway 04R. It descended through 527 ft at 1.8 NM from the threshold of runway 04R.

At 21:31:41, the first alert level (amber alert) of a runway incursion generated by the A-SMGCS system was activated in the control tower when OE-IJZ entered runway 04R. TS-INP was at 492 ft in descent at around 1.6 NM from the threshold of runway 04R.

At 21:31:57, the second alert level (red visual and aural warning) was activated. TS-INP was at 448 ft in descent at around 1 NM from the threshold of runway 04R.

At 21:32:05, OE-IJZ was on the threshold stripes of runway 04R in a left-hand turn to line up on the runway centreline. The PM of OE-IJZ saw TS-INP on final. He expressed his surprise at the perceived flight path. However, the crew did not identify any conflict. TS-INP was 0.7 NM from the threshold of runway 04R, descending through 278 ft with an indicated airspeed of 141 kt and a rate of descent of approximately 1,200 ft/min.

At the same time, the TWR/APP controller contacted the crew of TS-INP to confirm runway 04L, "Nouvelair 586, I confirm 04L." The crew responded that they were on short final for runway 04L, "Short final 04L." The controller again cleared the crew to land on runway 04L, "Clear to land 04L."

During this exchange, the aeroplane was approximately 0.7 NM from the threshold of runway 04R, descending from 258 to 158 ft, and continuing its descent. The 100, 50, 40, and 30 ft automatic call outs were activated in the following seconds.

At 21:32:23, TS-INP flew over OE-IJZ, which was stopped and aligned with the centreline of runway 04R. The TS-INP radio altitude value dropped from 39 ft to 10 ft in one second before rising to 24 ft in the following second.

At 21:32:25, the TWR/APP controller asked the crew of TS-INP to perform a go-around. The 20 ft and "retard" automatic call outs were activated at this time in the aeroplane. The crew of TS-INP crew carried out a missed approach.

Recorded data shows that the main landing gear of TS-INP did not touch the runway.

The crew of OE-IJZ requested clearance to return to the apron and the crew of TS-INP were radar vectored to join the approach procedure RNP Z 04L.

At 21:48, the crew of TS-INP landed on runway 04L.

Related Flight: BJ586, Nouvelair Tunisie News