Prague Flights: Czech Authority Opens Formal Probe After Near-CFIT by TAP A320neo
A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320neo operating flight TP1240 from Lisbon to Prague descended to roughly 1, 000 feet above ground on approach to Václav Havel Airport on January 17, prompting the Czech Civil Aviation Authority (UZPLN) to classify the event as a serious incident and open a formal investigation on February 12. The episode has drawn renewed scrutiny to prague flights and approach procedures after onboard warnings and air traffic control intervention averted a disaster.
Prague Flights: timeline of descent and recovery
Flight TP1240 was vectored for an ILS approach to Runway 06. Flightradar24 data shows the aircraft turning inbound past the Initial Approach Fix BAROX at 10: 15: 25 UTC at an altitude of about 4, 770 feet MSL (4, 500 feet when adjusted to 1013 hPa). The aircraft then descended steeply with a vertical speed exceeding 3, 000 feet per minute and a surge in ground speed. The lowest ADS‑B altitude recorded was 2, 645 feet MSL at 10: 16: 17 UTC; position 49. 9809°N, 13. 8273°E. One second later, at 10: 16: 18 UTC, a climb was initiated from roughly 2, 670 feet MSL. The crew recovered and the aircraft landed safely on Runway 06; all passengers and crew disembarked without injury.
Flight TP1240 and aircraft CS‑TVG
The flight was identified as TP1240, an Airbus A320neo registered CS‑TVG, operating the Lisbon (LIS) to Prague (PRG) sector. TAP Air Portugal has announced an internal investigation and is cooperating with Czech authorities. The Institute for Professional Investigation of the Causes of Air Accidents (UZPLN) is analysing the flight data recorders to determine how the aircraft descended so far below published minima.
METAR, altimeter setting and published approach minima
The METAR valid at the time read: "LKPR 171000Z 11006KT 2500 0900NE R06/P2000N R30/P2000N BR BCFG SCT003 BKN005 OVC012 02/02 Q1023 TEMPO 3000 BR BKN007". That METAR indicates general visibility of 2, 500 metres, locally as low as 900 metres to the northeast, mist and patches of fog, and scattered clouds at 300 feet. The crew used an altimeter setting of 1, 023 hPa when transitioning from flight level to altitude, which matches the METAR's QNH. The published ILS procedure required aircraft to maintain a minimum altitude of 4, 000 feet until the Final Approach Fix located 8. 8 nautical miles from the localizer "PH"; the Minimum Safe Altitude in the sector traversed is 3, 600 feet.
ADS‑B data, speeds, lowest altitude and terrain
ADS‑B and Flightradar24 barometric altitude information is reported as feet above mean sea level at standard pressure (1, 013. 25 hPa); conversion to the altitude shown in the cockpit depends on the local QNH. ADS‑B data show the aircraft's highest recorded ground speed in the descent was 311 knots. Other accounts place peak speed near 600 km/h and note the aircraft reached roughly 305 metres above the ground at the nadir of the descent. Google Maps terrain data places ground elevation at the recorded ADS‑B coordinate near 1, 700 feet, which yields approximately 945 feet of clearance above ground at the lowest recorded ADS‑B altitude. Czech authorities cite a figure of approximately 1, 000 feet above ground at the lowest point.
Onboard warnings, TAWS/GPWS activation and investigation focus
Onboard safety systems issued urgent alerts as the aircraft neared the low point. The Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) produced the audible command "TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP!" and the Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) activated; the flight crew also received two additional warning messages. Pilots responded with an immediate, maximum‑performance climb, applying Takeoff/Go‑Around (TOGA) thrust. One analysis indicates the aircraft climbed about 930 metres (3, 050 feet) in roughly 36 seconds. Air traffic control warnings and the onboard alerts together prompted the recovery.
The UZPLN will analyse the recorders to assess causes; identified lines of inquiry include pilot fatigue, a potential technical fault in the autopilot or an internal cockpit communication breakdown. The authorities have classified the event as a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) case — a situation in which a technically functioning aircraft flies toward the ground in a controlled manner without the crew recognising the danger in time — and describe the incident as one of the most serious at Prague Airport in recent decades. What makes this notable is how quickly the situation escalated: low visibility, a descent well below published minima and the activation of multiple warnings compressed the crew's time to react to seconds rather than minutes.
Sequence data show the recovery began within seconds of the nadir and the aircraft stabilised before completing the approach and landing. Some accounts note the situation stabilised about eleven minutes after the warnings; no injuries or material damage were reported.
The combination of ADS‑B evidence, METAR conditions, system warnings and the UZPLN probe will determine whether procedural, technical or human factors led to this near‑collision on a busy approach path.
