What happened
On February 17, 2014, a Jet2.com Boeing 737-800, registration G-GDFC, was operating a commercial passenger flight from Leeds Bradford Airport to Madeira Airport (LPMA). The flight proceeded normally until the approach phase, where the crew encountered variable winds in both direction and intensity, along with turbulence during the final 150 feet of the approach.
During the landing on runway 05, the aircraft's main landing gear made initial contact with the runway surface, but the aircraft subsequently bounced. While airborne at a height of approximately 8 feet, the aircraft experienced a significant nose-up attitude. During this period, the manual deployment of the speedbrakes caused a loss of lift. The aircraft then made a second contact with the runway with a load factor of 2.15g, resulting in a tail strike that caused significant structural damage to sections 46, 4 and 48 of the fuselage.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation examined the approach and landing profile, the aircraft's flight data, and the crew's actions. The investigation established that the approach was unstable, characterized by a descent rate exceeding 1,000 feet per minute and an approach speed more than 10 knots above the planned MCP speed. The investigators also reviewed the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder to determine the sequence of events during the bounce and the subsequent impact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an excessive nose-up input following the initial touchdown, which, combined with the manual deployment of speedbrakes and the resulting loss of lift, led to the tail strike.
- The aircraft was operating in turbulent conditions with a left-side crosswind component.
- The crew failed to execute the Normal Landing Checklist.
- The approach deviated from a stabilized profile, which should have prompted a go-around.
- The crew elected not to execute a go-around after the aircraft bounced on the runway.
Safety action
Following the investigation, several safety recommendations were issued to Jet2.com:
- Instructions should be issued to flight crews to strictly adhere to company Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- The airline should review pilot recency requirements for the B737-800 variant when operating at CAT C airports.
- Bounced landing recovery training should be incorporated into the B737-800 training program.
- Crews should practice timely manual speedbrake deployment, ensuring they first identify the aircraft's attitude and condition in the event of an automatic deployment failure.