What happened
On April 15, 2025, at approximately 21:40 ADT, a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321-271NX, registration N607FR, experienced an incident during landing at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The flight, operating as a scheduled domestic service from Orlando International Airport (MCO), was carrying 235 passengers and crew.
During the approach to runway 10, the flight crew noted the aircraft required a lateral correction to maintain the centerline. While the first officer was the pilot flying, the captain noted the flare became high at approximately 15 feet radio altitude. The captain subsequently initiated a go-around. During the transition, the captain assumed control after perceiving a rapid loss of airspeed due to the throttles being at idle and an increasing pitch attitude. The aircraft then touched down firmly.
Following touchdown, the crew heard a loud bang from beneath the fuselage, and an engine failure was indicated on the electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ECAM). The captain requested a runway sweep for foreign object debris (FOD), and metal and tire debris were subsequently identified on the runway.
After confirming the landing gear appeared intact via a low pass by the control tower, the crew prepared for a visual approach to runway 8. The aircraft taxied to a stop and the parking brake was set. Although the tower reported an engine fire, the crew only observed an engine failure indication. No fire was found during inspection by the fire department. All 235 passengers and crew were not injured and were evacuated via airstairs.
The investigation
An investigation into the incident was initiated by the NTSB, involving the FAA, Frontier Airlines, ALPA, Pratt & Whitney, and the French BEA.
Analysis of the flight data recorder (FDR) revealed that the aircraft initially touched down on all three landing gear with a maximum vertical acceleration of approximately 2.2g, which exceeds the hard landing threshold of 1.8g specified in the airline's maintenance manual.
Post-incident inspections of N607FR revealed that the left wheel and tire of the nose landing gear had separated from the axle. One wheel half had fractured, and the nose landing gear showed scratches, gouges, and damage to the tow fitting. Additionally, metal fragments from the wheel assembly were found to have been ingested by the number one engine, causing damage to the inlet cowl liner, thrust reverser, fan blades, and guide vanes. The left inboard trailing edge flaps also sustained damage.