A Ryanair plane carrying 172 passengers and six crew members came dangerously close to a helicopter at Stansted Airport, following an incorrect handover of controls.
The incident occurred during a scheduled flight from Szczecin Airport, Poland, on March 8, 2024.
During the initial landing attempt, the co-pilot disconnected the autopilot while approaching the runway. However, the plane became unstable, prompting a decision to go around for a second landing attempt.
The commander then informed the co-pilot that he would take over control. However, the co-pilot failed to mention that the autopilot and autothrottle were not engaged.
While the aircraft was still in a left turn during the go-around, the commander realized the plane had descended about 550 feet.
Although the commander immediately regained control and climbed the plane back to 3,000 feet, the aircraft had already descended 600 feet, bringing it within 300 feet and 1.7 nautical miles of a helicopter cleared to land.
The report confirmed that after the manual go-around, the co-pilot handed over control to the commander so the co-pilot could set up the Flight Management Computer for the following approach. However, the commander was unaware that the autopilot and autothrust were not active, causing the aircraft to start a descent unnoticed by the crew.
The report classified the altitude loss as a level bust since the plane had dropped more than 200 feet below its cleared altitude. The investigation highlighted that this occurred because of an incorrect procedure during the control handover and the commander focusing on monitoring the co-pilot’s actions instead of the aircraft itself.
The report added that the incident emphasizes how distractions and quick decisions can momentarily compromise aircraft control. Despite the plane losing 600 feet in altitude, both aircraft maintained the required safety margins.
The air traffic control officer did not notice the brief level bust at the time, as their attention was directed toward coordinating the next departure with a colleague.
Although the event was not classified as an accident or serious incident, investigators categorized it as an incident to highlight the importance of the operator’s improved handover procedures in its operating manual.
