Italy probes Air Arabia A320 after Catania takeoff dipped toward sea

An Air Arabia Airbus A320 dropped sharply toward the Mediterranean shortly after taking off from Catania Airport in Sicily on the evening of September 20, triggering a ground proximity warning and coming within roughly 200 feet of the sea before climbing back to cruise altitude, Italian investigators said. The jet, en route to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, had no passengers on board and was staffed by two pilots and four cabin crew when the alert occurred, the Italian National Agency for Flight Safety, ANSV, said.

ANSV said the aircraft lifted off at 21:57 UTC and, about 11 seconds after takeoff, received a Ground Proximity Warning System pullup message as it approached the sea surface. Flight-tracking data and preliminary reports indicate the airplane was travelling at nearly 300 miles per hour at the time. The agency classified the event as a serious incident and opened a safety investigation after a preliminary review of information provided by the operator. ANSV said the flight continued without further incident and landed at its destination in the early hours of September 21.

Under the investigation, pilots will be asked to provide detailed accounts of the...