Investigators believe wake turbulence from a landing Airbus A350-900 may have contributed to the fatal crash of a light aircraft at Dubai earlier this month.
The Thai Airways International A350 had been arriving on runway 30R on 16 May, following a service from Bangkok, at around the time that the Diamond Aircraft DA62 crashed.
French investigation authority BEA, citing United Arab Emirates counterparts, says the DA62 was engaged in inspection activities for ground navigation aids.
It had been carrying out an approach to runway 30L which runs parallel to 30R.
The two runways are separated by just 380m although the threshold of 30R is displaced some 1,900m beyond of that of 30R.
“Video footage showed the [DA62] encountered possible wake turbulence at about 1,100ft, following an Airbus A350,” it says.
None of the four occupants of the DA62 survived the crash. The aircraft was UK-registered as G-MDME and was operated by Flight Calibration Services.
The company stated last November that it had secured a flight check contract for Dubai navaids.
BEA has identified the Thai A350-900 as HS-THK. The aircraft was delivered to the carrier at the end of January last year, according to Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
