Bombardier DHC-8-402 Tail Strike at Puerto Williams

Incident Overview On September 9, 2024, at 11:07 local time, a Bombardier DHC-8-402 aircraft made a non-scheduled passenger flight from Aeropuerto Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (SCCI) to Aeródromo Guardiamarina Zañartu (SCGZ) in Puerto Williams, Chile. The aircraft carried 76 occupants, including 8 crew members and 68 passengers. During landing on runway 26, the lower rear fuselage contacted the runway surface, triggering the tail-strike warning light. The flight crew reported a hard landing but no other abnormalities. After landing, the pilot in command confirmed that the underside of the tail area, beneath the baggage compartments, had struck the runway. All occupants exited the aircraft without injury, and the aircraft was damaged. ## Aircraft and Crew The aircraft was a 2011 Bombardier DHC-8-402, serial number 4364, with 25,083.3 hours of service. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW150A engines and equipped with Dowty Aerospace R408/6-123-F/17 propellers. The pilot in command was a 48-year-old Chilean holding an Airline Transport Pilot license, with 7,102:41 total flight hours and 21:19 hours on the aircraft type. The first officer was a 66-year-old French national holding a Canadian Airline Transport Pilot license with a validation certificate, with 11,700:00 total flight hours and 3,100:00 hours on the aircraft type. Both crew members were medically fit and had no prior accident history. ## Damage and Investigation The tail strike occurred 89 meters from the threshold of runway 26. The investigation found wear, deformation, fractures, and cut rivets on the lower central fuselage skin beneath the cargo section. Internal structures under the cargo floor also showed cut rivets, deformation, and fractures. The tail-strike sensor was destroyed by the impact and subsequent dragging. The aircraft's CVR and FDR were removed and sent to the manufacturer for analysis. The preliminary report was issued 12 months after the event in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and Chilean regulations.