On approach to Geneva Airport, the Airbus A320neo operated by Easyjet with the registration G-UZLO fell well below the minimum altitude over Lake Geneva on November 5, 2023. The machine went under the glide path.

The Airbus A320neo in question was on its way from Edinburgh to Geneva on November 5, 2023 under flight number U23291. During the descent, the aircraft fell well below the glide path. This means that the recommended minimum flight altitude over Lake Geneva was not exceeded. The crew recognized the error in time and aborted the landing approach.

According to a report in the daily newspaper “La Tribune de Genève”, the G-UZLO was only around 230 meters above the water surface at the time of the incident. Actually, just under 700 meters is usual at this point. How it happened that the pilots fell so far below the recommended altitude and also ended up below the glide path is completely unclear.

The Swiss Air Accident Investigation Authority confirmed the media report and added that the pilots had been temporarily suspended from duty by Easyjet. The investigations are still ongoing, which is why no concrete statement can be made about the cause of the incident. The geographical features of Geneva airport may have played a role and the pilots may simply have made a mistake. However, the possible human error was recognized in time because the landing approach was aborted and attempted again. The Airbus A320neo, which was carrying 157 passengers, was able to land safely at Geneva Airport on the second attempt.