What happened
On 27 October 2016, a Cessna Citation 550 SII, registration VT-KMB, operated by M/s A R Airways, was involved in a serious incident during landing at Banswara Airport, Rajasthan. The aircraft was performing a non-scheduled flight from Mumbai to Banswara with seven passengers and two crew members on board.
Upon touchdown on runway 28 at 0745 UTC, the left-hand main wheel tyre burst immediately. The failure caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the left. Despite the crew applying thrust reversers and speed brakes, and attempting to correct the heading with right rudder, the aircraft continued to deviate from the centerline. The aircraft travelled approximately 600 meters from the threshold before exiting the runway and coming to a halt on an unpaved surface. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew, and no fire occurred during the event.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, flight data, and operational procedures. Analysis of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) revealed high vertical acceleration peaks during touchdown, indicating a heavy landing preceded the tyre failure.
Investigators also reviewed the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), noting that the recording for the incident flight was unavailable because the CVR circuit breaker had been left in the 'off' position during previous maintenance. This state had persisted for 30 flights prior to the incident. Furthermore, the investigation looked into the serviceability of the tyres, finding that the left-hand tyre was not in good condition at the time of departure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was a tyre burst following a heavy landing.
- The left-hand main wheel tyre was not in a serviceable condition at the time of the flight.
- The flight crew failed to perform pre-flight checks meticulously, as evidenced by the undetected unserviceable tyre and the inactive CVR circuit breaker.
- There was a lack of available information regarding the pavement classification number (PCN) or runway strength for the Banswara airfield.
- The operator and the DGCA failed to notify the AAIB of the incident immediately, due to discrepancies in the operator's Flight Safety Manual.
Safety action
- The DGCA was advised to conduct a safety audit of the operator's maintenance practices at outstation locations.
- Recommendations were made to ensure that all airline and aerodrome manuals include correct contact details for AAIB incident notifications.
- The DGCA was urged to update aeronautical information to ensure operators have access to current airfield details and runway strength information.
- It was recommended that the operator counsel flight crews to ensure pre-flight checklists are performed with meticulous care.