Incident Summary
On August 26, 2010, at approximately 1251 Pacific daylight time, an Airbus A320-232, registration N590JB, operated by JetBlue Airways as flight 262, experienced an abnormal landing on runway 16R at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) in Sacramento, California. The scheduled domestic passenger flight had originated from Long Beach Airport (LGB) at about 1141. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.
Events and Response
The first officer, who was the pilot flying, reported a normal flight and approach. Upon touchdown, the airplane rapidly decelerated. The first officer remarked that it felt like a main landing gear tire had blown out. Air traffic control tower personnel observed sparks and smoke near the main landing gear. The captain took control and maintained directional control as the airplane stopped approximately 2,000 feet from the touchdown point. The captain directed the first officer to initiate the Quick Reference Checklist (QRC) for ground evacuation. After tower personnel confirmed persistent smoke and fire, the captain ordered an evacuation. All occupants evacuated via cabin door slides: both forward main cabin doors and the rear left door; the rear right door was not used due to smoke in the vicinity. Crash fire rescue personnel responded. The two pilots, three flight attendants, and 79 passengers were not injured; seven passengers sustained minor injuries during the evacuation. The airplane sustained minor damage.
Examination and Findings
Post-incident examination by the operator and FAA revealed damage limited to four deflated main landing gear tires and ground-down wheel rims, with evidence that the tires were locked on touchdown. Runway surface showed minor grazing. The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) were analyzed. The DFDR data showed that the parking brake engaged in flight at approximately 5,116 feet mean sea level during the landing approach and remained engaged. This activation occurred about the same time the autopilot was disconnected. Around 4 seconds prior, the airplane was being configured with speed brakes, which the first officer stated he activated. The speed brake lever and parking brake switch are located in the center console near each other; the speed brake lever is on the left and activated by pulling, while the parking brake switch is on the bottom center and activated by pulling and rotating. The CVR revealed no sounds of associated warning audio for the parking brake activation or autopilot disconnect, but captured other sounds around that time with inconclusive sources. Non-essential communication occurred during the sterile cockpit portion.
Additional Details
Neither pilot recalled abnormal indications or cockpit warnings related to the parking brake system before landing. The Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) system is designed to provide a master caution light, a single chime after 3 seconds, and a "parking brake on" advisory message if the parking brake is engaged in flight. At 800 feet above ground level, alerts are reactivated if previously cleared. The applicable hydraulic system also provides an indication via brake pressure indicators, though normal checklists do not require an in-flight check. The operator examined and functionally tested the parking brake system and central warning systems per the manufacturer's maintenance manual, finding no abnormalities. The parking brake control switch and control valve were also examined by a vendor with no abnormalities noted. In a follow-up interview, the first officer described a personal technique of selecting the ECAM emergency cancel pushbutton prior to disconnecting the autopilot and holding it for several seconds. This pushbutton would cancel the autopilot disconnect audio and any present caution for the rest of the flight. The operator's procedure notes using this pushbutton only for spurious master cautions. According to the manufacturer, if the ECAM emergency cancel pushbutton is selected before the parking brake alert is displayed, the master caution light and chime would be inhibited, and at 800 feet the alert would not be reactivated. The DFDR does not record the ECAM emergency cancel pushbutton selection.