No fatalities

3 Oct 2018: Beech 1900 C — Hageland Aviation — Gambell, AK

Gambell, AK, United States
SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A hard landing resulting from a high flare during an instrument approach caused a tail strike, substantially damaging the lower aft fuselage.

Incident Summary

During an instrument approach, the flight crew anticipated mechanical turbulence and flew above the glide slope. As the airplane descended through 500 feet, the pilot monitoring advised the pilot flying that the aircraft was high on the approach. The crew continued the approach above the glide slope.

Sequence of Events

The landing flare was executed too high, leading to an excessive sink rate. The pilot flying attempted to arrest the sink rate but was unsuccessful. The airplane then landed harder than expected, resulting in the tail striking the runway surface.

Damage

The tail strike caused substantial damage to the lower aft fuselage.

Probable cause

The landing flare was conducted too high, resulting in an excessive sink rate and a hard landing.

Contributing factors

PilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintainedDescent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintained