An Air New Zealand Airbus A320-200, registration D-AXLA (ZK-OJL), test flight GXL888T from Perpignan to Perpignan (France) for a touch and go and then onward to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 7 people (2 Germans, 5 New Zealanders) on board, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast near Perpignan (France) at 16:46 local (15:46Z), approximately 7km (3.8nm) before Saint-Cyprien.
The airplane was heard on Perpignan's approach frequency at approximately 16:45 local (15:45Z), when the crew established contact with approach descending through flight level 120 on a heading of 090. The approach controller cleared the airplane for the LANET ILS 33 approach (see chart below) and a descent to 4000 feet. That instruction was acknowledged, which was the last transmission from the aircraft.
The pilot of a Piper yelled on the radio shortly thereafter, that an airplane had crashed. The pilot started to circle the crash site at radial 110 PPG VOR DME 10.5 until first rescue forces, a helicopter immediately dispatched from Perpignan, arrived on scene. The helicopter crew subsequently reported a white spot on the sea via radio, no aircraft visible, but debris spread out one kilometer (~0.6nm).
Coast Guard patrol boats as well as a helicopter by the Navy found floating parts, the airplane itsself has been located on a sandy ground at a depth of 35 meters. The search and rescue operations were suspended at around 22:30Z Nov 27th and resumed at daybreak Nov 28th.
The French Maritime Prefecture Mediterranean leading the search and rescue mission reported Nov 28th, that two bodies were recovered, five occupants are still missing. The chances for survivors are virtually nil. A navy ship arrived Nov 28th at around 7am local (06:00Z) tasked to search the black boxes and conduct investigation of the wreckage.
The French Secretary of State for Transport said, that the airplane was on an acceptance flight and was expected to return to Perpignan for a touch and go before continuing directly to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), where the airplane would have been officially returned to Air New Zealand.
The airplane made an unexpected turn, not required by the procedures, and started a "brutal" climb. 
The alert of the crash was raised by a boater before the coast of Canet-en-Roussillon, who had seen the airplane fall into the ocean. A worker in Saint-Cyprien saw the airplane "prick up its nose" and go into the sea almost vertically. Another eye witness in Saint-Cyprien reported, that the Airbus was at a height of estimated 300 meters (1000 feet), when it suddenly fell into the sea, no explosion had occured. Another witness at Canet-en-Roussillion believed, that the airplane had just started the usual DME arc leading towards intercept of the ILS.
XL Airways Germany said, they don't know exactly what happened. Their aircraft D-AXLA was to be transferred to Air New Zealand, resuming its original registration ZK-OJL in the New Zealand aircraft register. The airplane came out of the maintenance and was to be verified.
Initially XL Airways received the information, that the airplane had successfully ditched until the news of the crash arrived. Two German employees of XL Airways were on board as well as 5 New Zealanders. The airplane was already back in Air New Zealand colors with the original Air New Zealand interior restored. The airplane should have returned to New Zealand in December.
Air New Zealand confirmed the loss of their aircraft. The airplane was flown by two XL Airways Germany pilots, as the plane still belonged to XL Airways and was on the German register. Aboard were also one senior Air New Zealand captain sitting in the jump seat, 3 ANZ engineers and 1 inspector from New Zealand's CAA. The airplane was expected back in New Zealand later this week. The flight was the final test flight to establish, that the airplane was up to Air New Zealand standards.
According to their information only one body has been found, although there are reports of three bodies being recovered. Air NZ continued, that according to the chairman of XL Airways the airplane had been flying for around 2 hours, had concluded the test program, was returning to Perpignan and on final approach. The control tower in Perpignan did not receive any emergency call. The submerged tail of the airplane is visible from the surface of the sea.
