Overview

• Late on Sept. 21, a Nouvelair A320 inbound from Tunis lined up with Nice’s runway 04R, which had an easyJet A320 positioned for departure, despite arrivals being assigned to 04L.
• ADS-B data shows the Nouvelair jet crossed the 04R threshold at very low altitude and initiated a go-around seconds later; the easyJet captain told passengers separation was about three meters (10 feet).
• The easyJet flight U24706 aborted departure, taxied back to the apron and was canceled for the night, with the airline saying it is cooperating with the safety investigation.
• France’s BEA classified the event as a serious incident and deployed four investigators to Nice; local reports say both aircraft were grounded and flight recorders were collected for analysis.
• Preliminary reporting points to degraded visibility from heavy rain and the airport’s closely spaced parallel thresholds as possible contributors, with ATC instructions, crew actions and lighting under review.