What happened
On 28 March 2018, an IndiGo ATR 72-600, registration VT-IYD, was operating a scheduled flight from Tirupati to Hyderabad. The flight, carrying 73 passengers and 4 crew members, proceeded uneventfully until the landing phase at night.
Upon touchdown in the touchdown zone, the flight crew experienced intense vibrations during the landing roll. Simultaneously, Air Traffic Control (ATC) alerted the crew to visible fire beneath the aircraft. The aircraft eventually came to a halt approximately 1550m from the 09R threshold. The incident resulted in the complete shredding of all four main undercarriage tyres and significant damage to the wheel hubs and braking hydraulic lines. The runway blockage caused the diversion of 30 subsequent flights.
The investigation
The AAIB India investigation examined the flight recorders, aircraft damage, and crew actions. Investigators found that during the flight, the Pilot-in-Command had demonstrated the operation of the parking brake handle to the First Officer, moving the handle into the parking and emergency positions.
Following this demonstration, the crew focused on descent and approach preparations. The investigation established that the crew failed to return the parking brake handle to the 'OFF' position. Furthermore, the investigation looked into the recovery process, noting that the removal of the disabled aircraft was delayed due to a lack of specialized tools, such as the required landing gear adaptor, and a lack of experienced personnel at the outstation.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the parking brake was left in the emergency position during touchdown and the landing roll.
- The application of the brakes during landing prevented the wheels from rotating, leading to the bursting of all four main tyres and heavy erosion of the wheel hubs.
- The crew had been discussing the parking brake mechanism prior to landing and inadvertently left the handle engaged.
- There was a lack of integration between the airline's Emergency Response Plan and the aerodrome's recovery capabilities.
- Essential specialized maintenance tools and experienced personnel were not readily available at Hyderabad to facilitate the prompt removal of the aircraft.
Safety action
- It is recommended that airlines ensure pilot performance analysis reports are shared with training departments to aid individual improvement.
- The DGCA should develop mechanisms to ensure airport operators can provide the necessary infrastructure and manpower to assist in the rapid removal of disabled aircraft.
- Airlines should ensure their Emergency Response Plans are fully integrated with Airport Emergency Plans to minimize operational delays during such incidents.