Air Liberté Flight 8807
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 25 May 2000 |
| Summary | Runway incursion due to ATC error[1] |
| Site | Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport, France |
| Total fatalities | 1 |
| Total injuries | 1 |
| First aircraft | |
| The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 involved in the accident | |
| Type | McDonnell Douglas MD-83 |
| Operator | Air Liberté |
| IATA flight No. | IJ8077 |
| ICAO flight No. | LIB8807 |
| Call sign | LIBERTE 8807 |
| Registration | F‑GHED |
| Flight origin | Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France |
| Destination | Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain |
| Occupants | 157 |
| Passengers | 151 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
| The Shorts 330-200 involved in the accident | |
| Type | Shorts 330‑200 |
| Operator | Streamline Aviation |
| ICAO flight No. | SSW200 |
| Call sign | STREAMLINE 200 |
| Registration | G‑SSWN |
| Flight origin | Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France |
| Destination | Luton Airport, London, England |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Air Liberté Flight 8807 was a passenger charter operated by a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (F‑GHED) that collided with a Shorts 330‑200 freighter (G‑SSWN) on 25 May 2000 at Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport during a runway incursion.[2]
Background
Flight 8807 was preparing for departure to Madrid with 151 passengers and 6 crew on board.[2] The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD‑83 (registration F‑GHED), was operated by Air Liberté. The captain, aged 55, had a total of 11,418 flight hours and approximately 3 years of experience on the MD‑83. The first officer, aged 47, had logged 11,104 flight hours and had been flying the MD‑83 for about 9 months.
Meanwhile, a Shorts 330-200 freighter (registration G‑SSWN), operated by Streamline Aviation, was taxiing for a cargo flight to London–Luton Airport with two British crew members on board.[3] The captain, aged 41, had accumulated 2,440 total flight hours, including 1,005 on the Shorts 330. The first officer, aged 43, had logged 4,370 flight hours, but had only 14 hours of experience on type. He was killed instantly in the accident, while the captain sustained serious injuries.
The collision occurred at night under complex traffic conditions, including intersection departures, a high ATC workload, and limited visibility due to lighting conditions.[1][4]
Accident
The Shorts was cleared to "line up and wait, number two" from taxiway 16. However, the tower controller mistakenly believed the aircraft was positioned behind the MD‑83 at the runway threshold.[1] The MD‑83 was then cleared for takeoff and began its roll. At approximately 155 knots, the MD‑83's left wing impacted the cockpit of the Shorts 330, killing the co-pilot instantly and seriously injuring the captain. The MD‑83 aborted the takeoff safely.[5][3]
Investigation
The French BEA concluded that the accident was caused by a mental model error by ATC—believing the Shorts was behind the MD-83.[1] Other factors included miscommunication between ground and tower controllers, confusing bilingual radio traffic, poor visibility, and the Shorts crew not confirming their position.[4]
Aftermath
The MD-83 was repaired and returned to service. The Shorts 330 was written off.[3] In response to the accident, BEA issued recommendations for mandatory English-only ATC at CDG, improved communication protocols, and stricter runway entry verification.[1][4]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Language confusion at CDG caused collision, claims BEA". FlightGlobal. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Accident description: Air Liberté Flight 8807". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Crash of a Shorts 330-200 at Paris – 1 killed". BAAA - Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "SH33 / MD83, Paris CDG France 2000". Skybrary. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ "Collision between Air Liberté MD-83 and Shorts 330 at Paris CDG". Aviation Accidents Database. Retrieved 28 June 2025.