Approach and Flap Selection
According to flight data recorder information, when 50 degrees of flaps were selected at 985 feet above ground level (AGL), the first officer, who was flying the airplane, did not stabilize the approach. The pitch attitude of the airplane varied approximately 2 degrees with corresponding elevator position changes.
Descent and Captain Intervention
At an altitude of 40 to 50 feet, the pitch attitude was decreasing. The captain stated that he felt a higher than normal rate of descent at 20 feet, so he grabbed the yoke and pulled back. The captain did not use verbal instructions as required by the flight manual and company procedures when taking control of the airplane.
Hard Landing and Bounce Sequence
The airplane landed hard, bounced, and oscillated at least three times, reaching a maximum pitch-up attitude of 12.3 degrees. During the oscillations, the tail struck the runway. Both pilots were manipulating the controls during the bounced landing recovery.