Incident Overview
While en route from Pueblo, Colorado, to Columbia, South Carolina, the captain's windshield delaminated. The flight subsequently diverted to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for repairs.
Landing and Runway Excursion
The flight crew reported that the first officer was flying the aircraft. The captain instructed the first officer to make a firm landing at Fort Lauderdale to ensure the airplane's weight was on the wheels, as the aircraft was light. The landing was firm, and the first officer activated the engine thrust reversers. As the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane began veering to the left. Attempts to control the veer were unsuccessful, and the airplane ran off the left side of the runway. It then traversed a taxiway and collided with a taxiway sign and its concrete base. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest.
Runway Marks and Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the runway revealed alternating dark and light marks from the left main landing gear tire starting about 160 feet before marks from the right main landing gear tire appeared. A post-accident examination of the airplane's landing gear, tires, wheels, brakes, spoilers, and engine thrust reversers showed no evidence of pre-accident failure or malfunction.
Crew Duty Time
At the time of the accident, the flight crew had been on duty for approximately 17 hours and 45 minutes.