BTNews
Once again the problems associated with two languages being allowed for inflight aircraft handling have been highlighted with a very serious near-miss at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on 23 May, just made public.
An incoming Norwegian scheduled A320 was within 6ft of the ground when the captain aborted the landing following a safety warning system alert from air traffic controllers.
Flying in cloud the aircraft had been issued the wrong barometric settings for the altimeter when speaking in English, the air traffic controller having previously spoken to another aircraft in French with correct pressures.
In its report the Paris-based Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) whilst urging airlines to cross check settings did not mention that a possible cause of the problem was the use of two languages at the air traffic control (ATC) centre.
