What happened
On August 4, 2009, an Airbus A320, registration CS-TKO, operated by SATA Internacional, was performing a scheduled flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada. The flight was carrying 166 passengers and 7 crew members. During the approach to runway 30 at João Paulo II Airport, the aircraft experienced a significant landing event.
The aircraft initially made contact with the runway, but the impact triggered a bounce that sent the aircraft back into the air to a height of 12 feet AGL. During this bounce, the ground spoilers extended in flight, causing a loss of lift. This resulted in a second touchdown characterized by a severe hard landing with a vertical acceleration of 4.86g, significantly exceeding the design limit of 2.60g.
Following the event, the flight crew and maintenance personnel inspected the main landing gear but did not detect any visible irregularities. The crew also struggled to interpret the Data Management Unit (DMU) Load Report, which displayed the high-g values. Consequently, the incident was not recorded in the technical logbook, and the aircraft continued its subsequent scheduled flight sectors.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation focused on the sequence of the landing, the aircraft's automated systems, and the crew's response. Investigators examined the flight data from the DFDR and CVR, as well as the DMU Load Report. The investigation also reviewed maintenance records and the aircraft's structural condition following an