What happened
On December 3, 2025, at approximately 18:35 local time, a scheduled passenger flight operating a British Aerospace PLC AVRO 146 – RJ100 was completing its arrival at the Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Aerodrome (SCRM) in the Chilean Antarctic Region. The aircraft, carrying 68 passengers and 4 crew members, had departed from Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport (SCCI) in Punta Arenas.
During the landing sequence on runway 11, the lower portion of the aircraft's tail fuselage made contact with the runway surface. The runway at this location consists of a gravel surface. Despite the impact, all 72 people on board remained uninjured, though the aircraft sustained structural damage.
The investigation
Following the event, the operator was authorized to ferry the aircraft without passengers back to Punta Arenas. An investigation team from the Chilean DGAC arrived at the site on December 5, 2025, to conduct a technical inspection.
Initial examinations at the scene revealed tire marks from the main landing gear and clear evidence of the tail strike on the runway. A subsequent inspection of the aircraft at SCCI confirmed that the Ground Strike Indicator (GSI) had been dislodged and showed significant wear and material loss due to friction with the runway. Investigators also examined the rear fuselage, cargo compartments, wings, flight control surfaces, engines, and landing gear. While the tail section showed damage, no structural issues were found in the landing gear or engine assemblies.
Meteorological data for the time of the event indicated low pressure, cloudy skies, and temperatures near 0.9°C, with winds from the north at approximately 13.9 km/h.
Findings
- The primary cause of the event was a tail strike involving the lower fuselage during the landing roll.
- The impact resulted in the displacement and physical degradation of the Ground Strike Indicator (GSI).
- The aircraft was operating on a gravel runway surface.
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) data have been recovered and are currently undergoing analysis to determine the precise flight parameters leading to the contact.