TP1240 - Incident: TAP A20N at Prague on Jan 17th 2026

A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320-200N, registration CS-TVG performing flight TP-1240 from Lisbon (Portugal) to Prague (Czech Republic), was on final approach to Prague's runway 06 about 17nm before the runway threshold when the aircraft so far maintaining 4000 feet entered a steep descent to about 2600 feet MSL (compensated for ambient pressure, 2425 feet according to ADS-B transponder) with the ground elevation at that point being 481 meters/1577 feet MSL) or about 1000 feet AGL, way below the minimum safe altitude (3600 feet MSL) before the crew initiated a steep climb to about 5200 feet MSL, entered a left 360, levelled off again at 4000 feet MSL and continued the approach from 4000 feet MSL for a safe landing about 11 minutes after the premature descent.

The aircraft departed for the return flight on schedule.

On Feb 12th 2026 Czechia's UZPLN reported that ATC detected a violation of the 4000 feet cleared altitude, the crew responded to the controller's instructions. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated.

According to information The Aviation Herald received, the aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 06, but descended below cleared altitude and below minimum safe altitude at high speed and high sink rate. Subsequently they performed a terrain escape maneouver.

On Feb 13th 2026 the UZPLN reported: "During approach to ILS06 at LKPR, there was descending below cleared altitude (4000 ft) with high rate of descent (approx. 3000 ft/m) and increasing speed. Flight crew was warned by ATC twice, during second warning from ATC, flight crew reported terrain warning and started to climb. Lowest altitude (RALT) was 968 ft above terrain. After recovery, the aircraft climbed to 5,850 ft. Second attempt for approach and landing was uneventful."

In April 2026 the UZPLN reported in their quarterly bulletin, that the aircraft had been cleared to descend to 4000 feet and subsequently was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 06. However, after passing the BAROX waypoint the aircraft continued to descend below 4000 feet. Descending through 3500 feet a Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) activated on the controller's desk, who instructed the crew to climb to 4000 feet. The crew acknowledged the instruction, the aircraft however continued to descend. The controller repeated the instruction to climb to 4000 feet, the crew acknowledged again, reported a terrain (TAWS) warning and initiated a steep climb to 5800 feet. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated, the event is being analysed on the base of FDR data, a CVR recording is not available. The UZPLN reported the pilot flying's perceiption they were high on approach led to an intercept of the glideslope from above with air brakes extended, no flaps, at a vertical speed between 2000 and 3000 fpm. The pilot monitoring alerted the pilot flying they were below the vertical profile.

The UZPLN stated the minimum altitude reached was 2563 feet (968 feet radar altitude) at 304 KIAS. During the transition to climb the vertical acceleration was 2.0G.

The UZPLN stated that there had been no approach briefing, the flight managament system was prepared by the pilot monitoring. Ineffective crew communication as well as failure in Threat and Error Management and delayed response to warnings contributed to the occurrence.

Factors related to the pilot monitoring were:
- multiple tasks simultaneously
- monitoring and communication
- rapid changes in flight parameters
- high workload
- expectation of a response from the pilot flying
- considered intervention

The last barriers were:
- EGPWS/MSAW
- Importance of CRM and briefing

Related Flight: TP1240, TAP Portugal News