Air France A350 Radome Collapse During Osaka–Paris Operation: How France and Japan Responded to a Rare Aviation Incident

Published on December 12, 2025

A significant operational incident involving an Air France A350, occurring during a scheduled service between Japan and France, has drawn considerable attention across the global aviation and travel community. The event, rooted in an undetected structural issue within the aircraft’s radome, unfolded as the jet departed Osaka Kansai Airport and later experienced in-flight instability that prompted a precautionary return. This occurrence has highlighted how modern long-haul aircraft respond to unexpected aerodynamic disturbances and how coordinated actions between crews, regulators, maintenance teams, and manufacturers can protect both passengers and flight operations. For travellers who frequently journey between Asia and Europe, the episode has become a reminder of the sheer complexity behind ensuring safe and reliable international connectivity.

The chain of events stemmed from prior bird strike damage, which had subtly compromised the inner surface of the radome weeks earlier. Although the earlier impact had produced weather-radar anomalies, the hidden deterioration was not fully detected during maintenance. As a result, the aircraft began exhibiting performance inconsistencies soon after departure. The investigation that followed not only revealed details of the radome’s structural failure but also led to refined inspection practices, updated training standards, and revised aircraft manuals that enhance future operational resilience.

Undetected Radome Damage Linked to Earlier Bird Strike

French investigators determined that the radome problem originated from a bird strike that had occurred nearly one month before the Osaka–Paris rotation. While the outer shell had been examined, internal debonding of the radome’s inner layer had remained unnoticed. This hidden deterioration was critical, as it inhibited proper movement of the weather-radar antenna, a component essential for both situational awareness and accurate air-data readings.

Operational reports indicated that minor radar anomalies had already surfaced three days prior to the departure from Osaka. In hindsight, these irregularities should have led to a deeper internal inspection, especially of the radome’s inner structure. However, since external surfaces appeared intact, the sub-surface defect continued without detection.

As the aircraft climbed through 35,000 ft after departure on 28 May 2023, the radar faults re-emerged. These technical disturbances marked the beginning of a sequence that would escalate into an unexpected in-flight situation requiring careful crew management and a controlled return to Kansai.

In-Flight Behaviour and Radome Collapse at 30,000 ft

While the crew initiated the return to Osaka, the most dramatic moment unfolded during descent. At approximately 30,000 ft, the radome collapsed inward. This inward deformation immediately altered the airflow around the nose section and disrupted pressure distribution around several key sensors.

The collapse affected air-data probes, leading to inconsistent airspeed readings across multiple displays. Such inconsistencies triggered transitions between normal and alternate flight-control laws. The A350 briefly cycled among normal, alternate, back to normal, and then alternate again as its systems attempted to reconcile conflicting data inputs.

These signals created uncertainty for the crew, who questioned whether the radome had failed or whether an air-data probe malfunction was responsible. Despite these concerns, the aircraft remained structurally controllable, and its return path toward Kansai continued.

Crew Response and System Interpretation Challenges

As airspeed fluctuations increased, the crew began applying unreliable airspeed procedures. Automated systems such as the autopilot, autothrust, and flight director were initially kept active while various alerts were reviewed.

Descending through 15,000 ft, the aircraft experienced rising aerodynamic noise and localized vibration. The crew considered diverting to Tokyo but ultimately maintained the plan to return to Osaka due to proximity and familiarity of approach procedures.

When slats and flaps were extended during preparation for landing, airspeed variations became more pronounced. Differences between primary speed indications grew sharply, reinforcing the crew’s belief that the radome had detached or collapsed.

Given the fluctuating readings, automated systems were disengaged and manual control was initiated. One pilot used the head-up display for stability cues while the other monitored speed integrity using a pitch-and-thrust table.

Investigators later noted that the crew’s decisions were influenced by limited awareness of the A350’s NAIADS system. This advanced system provides optimal speed and altitude data even when standard air-data sources become unreliable. It remains independent of pitot inputs and retains autopilot capability, offering a high level of protection and workload reduction.

The investigation concluded that fragmented documentation and gaps in training had prevented the crew from fully utilizing the system during the event.

Return to Osaka and Safe Landing

Despite persistent airspeed discrepancies, the aircraft was stabilised during a long downwind leg for runway 24R at Kansai. Due to the overweight condition for landing, the extended track allowed for a smoother configuration and descent profile.

Airspeed instability briefly caused another transition back into alternate control law before the aircraft settled again. The crew intercepted the ILS and conducted a controlled approach. The jet landed safely without injury to any of the 309 passengers or 14 crew members onboard.

Post-landing inspections revealed severe deformation of the radome, confirming the collapse that had occurred during descent. The remainder of the aircraft structure remained intact, underscoring the resilience of the A350’s design even under abnormal aerodynamic conditions.

Actions Taken by Airline and Manufacturer

Following the incident, Airbus updated its radome inspection procedures to ensure that internal surfaces receive the same scrutiny as external shells, particularly after bird, hail, or lightning impacts. A revised section of the A350 flight manual now addresses radome-related anomalies, including airspeed fluctuations that may accompany structural failures.

Air France also enhanced its inspection protocols, placing greater emphasis on follow-up evaluations when radar‐related faults are reported. Additional training modules were introduced to reinforce crew understanding of NAIADS functionality and to improve decision-making in cases where air-data inconsistencies occur.

These improvements reflect a broader commitment within the aviation industry to continuously enhance safety practices, especially on long-haul routes connecting major travel hubs in Japan and France.