Synopsis
On 4 August 2009, an Airbus A320 registered as CS-TKO, operated by SATA Internacional, was conducting flight RZ129 from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, Azores. The aircraft landed hard at João Paulo II International Airport, bounced to a height of 12 feet above ground level, and then touched down again in a severe hard landing.
Flight History
The aircraft departed Lisbon at 18:40 UTC with 7 crew and 166 passengers on board. The approach was an ILS straight-in to runway 30. The pilot flying disconnected both autopilots at 875 feet radio altitude and continued manually, with flight directors and autothrust engaged. At 20:35, the aircraft made a hard landing, rebounded to 12 feet AGL, and returned to the runway in a more severe hard landing.
Post-Landing Actions
After parking, the pilots and the duty maintenance technician inspected the main landing gear and found no visible irregularities. The aircraft operated the return flight to Lisbon as scheduled. The Data Management Unit printed a load report showing excess loads during the landing, but no one was able to interpret the values. The pilots did not record the suspected hard landing in the aircraft technical log.
Inspection and Damage
Two days after the event, during an A check, maintenance personnel reviewed the DMU Load Report and performed the inspection specified in AMM 05-51-11. They discovered damage to the left and right lower panels of the wing shroud boxes. Airbus was contacted, and a specific inspection was carried out.
No injuries were reported.