Incident
Scandinavian Flight 901 was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Runway 4R with a tailwind. The first officer was flying the aircraft. The aircraft was fast on final approach and touched down approximately 4,700 feet beyond the approach end of the runway, at a speed 36 knots above the programmed touchdown speed. The crew was unable to stop the aircraft on the remaining 3,700 feet of runway.
To avoid a head-on collision with the approach light pier at the departure end of the runway, the captain steered the aircraft to the right of the runway centerline. The left wing struck the pier, and the aircraft came to rest in a tidal waterway.
All occupants were evacuated. Some sustained minor injuries, and one passenger with a pre-existing cardiac condition was hospitalized for more than 48 hours. A small fire occurred in some electrical wiring but self-extinguished almost immediately.
Investigation
Investigation revealed that the autothrottle had malfunctioned during the occurrence. There was evidence that thrust increased on final approach when it was not needed. Additionally, the crew did not use the airspeed bugs or make callouts during the approach. The autothrottle had a history of malfunctions.