What happened
On 18 April 2001, an Airbus A321-211, registration G-VOLH, operated by Airtours International Airways, was conducting a charter flight from Manchester to Funchal Airport, Madeira. The flight, carrying 167 passengers and 7 crew members, was performing a visual approach to Runway 05.
During the approach, the aircraft encountered windshear at the Gelo waypoint. While the approach remained stabilized for a period, a significant loss of the headwind component occurred just as the commander closed the thrust levers to flare. This sudden reduction in headwind caused the aircraft's sink rate to increase. In an attempt to arrest the descent, the commander applied full aft side stick. This resulted in a heavy touchdown at 132 kts. The aircraft then bounced, and during the second touchdown, the pitch attitude increased to 10.9 degrees, causing the tail section to strike the runway. The impact resulted in extensive structural damage to the lower fuselage over a five-meter area. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation examined the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) to reconstruct the flight path and pilot inputs. The investigation analyzed the aircraft's geometry, noting that the A321 has a reduced ground-to-tail clearance compared to the A320 due to its increased fuselage length. The investigation also reviewed the meteorological conditions, specifically the wind fluctuations and the impact of turbulence from adjacent high ground.
Findings
- The primary cause was the marked backing of the wind, likely due to turbulence from nearby terrain, which led to a sudden loss of the headwind component.
- The pilot's application of full aft side stick successfully reduced the vertical speed of the initial touchdown but caused the pitch attitude to increase excessively during the subsequent bounce.
- In an attempt to cushion the second touchdown, the pilot maintained aft side stick, which pushed the pitch attitude beyond the aircraft's geometric limit, resulting in the tailstrike.
- The aircraft's pitch attitude reached 10.9 degrees, exceeding the manufacturer's specified geometry limit of 11.2 degrees for an uncompressed main gear oleo (noting the margin was extremely slim).