Terrifying moment Air France Boeing 777 flight from New York’s JFK to Paris is forced to abort landing as plane became ‘unresponsive to pilot commands’ as it approached landing

• Air France 11 suffered a serious issue on approach to Paris airport on Tuesday 
• Radio traffic suggests pilots were unable to control the Boeing 777 on approach
• After a go-around at just 1,200 feet the plane was able to land safely
• Air France confirms a ‘technical incident’ forced it to abort landing sequence

Disturbing radio traffic has revealed a potentially serious issue on an Air France flight from New York to Paris, with pilots heard struggling to get the plane’s controls to respond.

Air France Flight 11, a Boeing 777, was able to land safely at Charles de Gaulle Airport on Tuesday morning after moments of tense panic in the cockpit, which were captured in radio recordings shared by industry news site AirLive.

An Air France spokesman confirmed to DailyMail.com that a ‘technical incident’ had forced the pilots to abort their landing sequence and perform a go-around before landing the plane normally. 

In recordings of radio traffic, cockpit alarms are heard blaring as the pilot groans and seems to struggle with the plane’s controls, telling the tower: ‘I’ll call you back!’

An Air France Boeing 777-328ER is seen in a file photo. Air France Flight 11, a Boeing 777, was able to land safely at Charles de Gaulle Airport on Tuesday after moments of tense panic

AF011’s flight path on final approach to Charles de Gaulle Airport is seen above. The plane had to abort its first landing attempt after a ‘technical incident’

Air traffic controllers noted that the plane was deviating to its left. The plane managed to go-around at just 1,200 feet as ground control halted all departures. 

‘We went around following an issue with commands. The airplane didn’t respond,’ the pilot explained after the crisis abated. 

‘We are ready to resume final approach with radar guidance. Please give us time to manage the situation, then guide us with tailwind,’ the pilot continued.

The plane managed to regain altitude to 4,000 feet and then make a safe landing on runway 27R. 

‘Air France confirms that the crew of flight AF011 on 4 April 2022 from New York JFK to Paris-CDG aborted their landing sequence and performed a go-around due to a technical incident during the approach,’ a spokesman for the airline told DailyMail.com in a statement.

‘The crew mastered the situation and landed the aircraft normally after a second approach,’ the statement added.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=avVvgYQtDiI%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1

The cockpit of a Boeing 777 is seen in a stock image. ‘The crew mastered the situation and landed the aircraft normally after a second approach,’ an Air France spokesman said

The company said that ‘Air France understands and regrets the discomfort felt by customers’

‘The go-around is defined by the authorities, aircraft manufacturers and Air France as a normal procedure,’ the spokesman said.

‘The crews are trained and regularly instructed in these procedures, which are used by all airlines to guarantee the safety of flights and passengers, which is an absolute necessity for Air France,’ he added.

A spokesman for Boeing declined to comment when reached by DailyMail.com, referring inquiries to Air France. 

The Seattle-based airplane maker has faced numerous questions over safety in recent years.

An Air France Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner prepares to depart from Charles De Gaule International Airport (CDG) on November 19, 2020

Last month, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was finalizing three safety directives for some grounded Boeing 777 planes with Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines. 

The new directives come after a United Airlines 777 failed shortly after takeoff from Denver in February 2021, showering debris over nearby cities. No one was injured and the plane safely returned to the airport. 

The FAA said the new directives, which were proposed in December after three reported in-flight fan blade failures, require enhanced inspections and modifications that will allow Boeing 777-200 and -300 airplanes equipped with those Pratt & Whitney engines to resume flights after being grounded for more than a year. 

United, which is the only U.S. operator of 777s with the PW4000 engine and has 52 of those planes, said the step ‘is a good and safe outcome for our industry and United customers.’  

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