JAKARTA - French aviation safety investigators have opened an investigation after an Air France Boeing 777 that approached Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport was involved in a "serious incident," according to BEA, the French bureau investigating air accidents and aviation safety.
In an audio recording of air traffic control that French officials say is related to the incident, a pilot said, "the plane was a bit out of control."
The incident occurred on Tuesday, April 5, according to a BEA tweet that reported "flight control instability on finals, laps, hard controls, flight path oscillations."
The BEA did not provide CNN with further details on what led to the incident or why it qualifies as 'serious', adding they would have to wait for the end of the investigation. The tweet said the agency was analyzing flight data from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, known as the black back box.
But, it authenticates an audio recording that was uploaded online, containing the communication between the flight pilot and the control tower.
The footage was edited to isolate the flight audio and uploaded online by private aviation-focused website AIRLIVE, which told CNN they had direct access to Paris Air Traffic Control Charles de Gaulle footage.
In the BEA footage, a voice appears to be a pilot saying "stop, stop" as the alarm goes off in the cockpit.
"I'll call you back, I'll call you back," a male voice can be heard telling air traffic control, who instructs him to "stop approaching, immediately."
The pilot is then heard reporting to controllers the decision to abort the landing.
"We went around because there was a problem with orders. The plane was a little out of control," the voice said.
"We are ready to proceed with the final approach with radar guidance. Give us time to manage the situation, then guide us with towing."
Meanwhile, Air France said it understands and regrets the inconvenience experienced by customers. Spokesman Mathieu Guillot said the pilot appropriately responded to the situation by circling and making a second landing attempt.
"Air France confirms that the crew of flight AF011 on April 4, 2022 from New York JFK to Paris-CDG aborted their landing sequence and performed a go-around during approach," explained Air France.
"The crew landed the aircraft normally after the second approach. Air France understands and regrets the inconvenience the customer has experienced," Air France continued.
Spinning in the air is established by the authorities, aircraft manufacturers and Air France as normal procedure. Crews are regularly trained and instructed in this procedure, which is used by all airlines to ensure the safety of flights and passengers, which is Air France's top priority."
Separately, one of the passengers Pierre-Loïc Jacquemin told CNN France affiliate BFMTV, "as the plane approached the airport, there were "two or three sudden jerks."
"There was someone screaming in the cabin" at the time of the incident. After that, the plane went back up. We circled for 10 minutes over the airport, and the second attempt was very gentle. We are not jostling like the first one," the passenger added.
It is known, the plane underwent nearly seven hours of flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, United States.
As a US-made aircraft, the official investigation into the incident will involve the participation of the US National Transportation Safety Board. Pierre-Loïc Jacquemin to BFMTV
The council has appointed an official to participate in the French-led investigation, NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson told CNN. He said the French BEA was in touch with the NTSB.
This development does not mean officials from the NTSB will physically travel to Paris. The US Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately comment on the incident.
It's unclear how many passengers and crew were on the plane when the incident occurred.
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