Classified as Controlled flight collision-TAP Airbus A320 plane avoided an accident on its way to Prague airport.

• TAP Airbus had descended at high speed “to an altitude below that of minimum safety” as it approached the runway in extremely adverse weather conditions.
• Flight TP1240, from Lisbon, reached a point where it was only 300 metres from the ground.
• After warning system of proximity to the ground sounded in the cockpit, the pilots initiated an immediate climb to recover safe altitude.
• Once re-established, the plane effected another approach and landed without incidents. There were no injuries suffered on the plane, nor any damages.
• The incident took place almost exactly a month ago – and local press reports at the time considered it “one of the most serious at Prague Airport in the last decade.”

A TAP Air Portugal aircraft came within just 30 seconds of a "controlled collision" during its approach to Prague airport. The Airbus A320 NEO aircraft descended below the safe altitude and came to a stop approximately 300 meters from the ground. The Portuguese airline's aircraft narrowly avoided a collision with the ground, according to Czech media reports.

It was only on 12 February that the Czech Civil Aviation Authority made the incident public, that occurred a month ago, had no consequences, but is being investigated by the Czech Republic's aeronautical authorities.

Thanks to the alert air traffic controllers who prevented the accident, issuing two alerts 30 seconds before the TAP plane coming closure to a terrain, about 60 kilometers from Prague airport.

As per Rádio Renascença, air traffic controllers “sent alerts to the crew after radars detected the descent below minimum safe altitude”. At the same time “the warning system of proximity to the ground sounded in the cockpit. As a result the pilots initiated an immediate climb to recover safe altitude”.

The aircraft was approaching the runway at high speed, but well below the minimum safe altitude for that phase of flight. The aircraft should have passed 1,300 meters above the ground, but it was only 300 meters away. 

While performing flight TP-1240 from Lisbon (Portugal) to Prague (Czech Republic), a TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320 NEO (A320-200N) with registration CS-TVG, was on final approach to Prague's runway 06 about 17nm before the runway threshold.

The aircraft so far maintaining 4000 feet entered a steep descent to about 2600 feet MSL with the ground elevation at that point being 481 meters/1577 feet MSL) or about 1000 feet AGL, way below the minimum safe altitude (3600 feet MSL) before the crew initiated a steep climb to about 5200 feet MSL, entered a left 360, levelled off again at 4000 feet MSL and continued the approach from 4000 feet MSL for a safe landing about 11 minutes after the premature descent.

• According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 06, but descended below cleared altitude and below minimum safe altitude at high speed and high sink rate. Subsequently they performed a terrain escape maneouver.
• On Feb 13th 2026 the UZPLN reported: "During approach to ILS06 at LKPR, there was descending below cleared altitude (4000 ft) with high rate of descent (approx. 3000 ft/m) and increasing speed.
• Flight crew was warned by ATC twice, during second warning from ATC, flight crew reported terrain warning and started to climb. Lowest altitude (RALT) was 968 ft above terrain. After recovery, the aircraft climbed to 5,850 ft. Second attempt for approach and landing was uneventful."

Even without an accident, the episode was considered one of the most serious in recent decades at the airport in the Czech capital. The incident occurred on January 17th and was reported this week by a local television channel. The inhabitants of Krivoklát had never seen a plane so close to the town.

After an altitude recovery maneuver, which involved an ascending circular trajectory, the TAP plane returned to safe parameters. Flight TP 1240, which was moments away from tragedy, ended up landing in Prague 11 minutes late.

The episode is being classified as a "controlled flight collision," in which an aircraft approaches the ground without the crew being aware of the danger, usually due to errors in the configuration of flight systems. The cause may also be related to the incorrect use of the autopilot.

The incident has caused widespread alarm in the aviation industry and is under investigation. The Institute for Investigation of Air Accidents has created a commission to determine whether the deviation resulted from operational, human, or technical factors. TAP has also opened an internal inquiry.

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