Incident Overview
A regional jet operating as a 14 CFR Part 121 domestic passenger flight sustained minor damage when the nose landing gear collapsed during landing rollout on runway 20. The aircraft was on an ILS instrument approach to the runway.
Flight Conditions and Crew Actions
En route, the flight crew obtained the airport Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS), which reported winds from 060 degrees at 14 knots. Neither the captain nor the first officer checked the reported winds against the Wind Component Conversion Chart to assess headwind/tailwind and crosswind components. The chart indicated a tailwind component of 10.5 knots and a crosswind component of 9 knots. The airplane's tailwind limitation is 10 knots. Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data showed that the aircraft landed with a 13-knot tailwind.
Prior to the approach, the captain conducted an Approach Brief but did not brief the missed approach procedures. The tower controller informed the flight crew that snowplows had removed snow from the runway centerline and that braking action was "fair to poor." The captain did not brief the first officer on procedures for landing on a contaminated runway.
Touchdown and Landing Roll
FDR data indicated the aircraft touched down near the runway intersection, approximately 2,900 ± 250 feet from the approach end of Runway 20. Runway 20 is 7,000 feet long. The desired touchdown point is 1,000 feet from the approach end, or within the first third of the runway; the touchdown zone limit is 2,333 feet. The aircraft touched down on a heading of 190 degrees at 124 knots computed airspeed with 0.4 degrees of nose-up pitch, and the nose was pitching down at touchdown. All three landing gear Weight-on-Wheels (WOW) switches changed from Air to Ground within 0.25 seconds of each other. Approximately 1.75 seconds later, the nose landing gear WOW switched to Air again, indicating collapse. The vertical acceleration parameter did not show a significant load at touchdown. The airplane skidded to a stop on the runway.
Post-Incident Examination
The captain inspected the runway and observed ridges of snow and ice near the runway intersection. On-site inspection revealed that the nose landing gear drag brace had broken and the nose landing gear collapsed rearward. The nose wheel and tire remained intact and were jammed under the airplane as it skidded. Metallurgical examination showed the drag brace failed due to an overload, with no material defects. Messier-Dowty analysis indicated the load required to fracture the drag brace was generated by hitting an obstacle.
Airport Operations
Investigation of airport operations found that personnel inside snow removal vehicles assessed runway conditions by looking out side-view mirrors. The airport did not conduct or provide friction measurement reports or NOTAMs between 1900 and 2200 hours, when conditions were rapidly changing with significant snowfall and active snow removal on Runway 20.