What happened
On a scheduled flight from Edmonton, Alberta, to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, a First Air Boeing 737-210C, registration C-GNWI, experienced a series of bounces during landing on Runway 3-3. The flight, carrying 98 passengers and 6 crew members, was performing a visual approach in daylight. As the aircraft approached the runway, the descent rate increased significantly. During the landing flare, the pilot flying attempted to correct a high sink rate by increasing engine power and pitching the nose up.
The aircraft initially touched down on its main gear but immediately rebounded. After a second bounce, the captain took control of the aircraft and applied a nose-down command to prevent further rebounding. This maneuver caused the aircraft to strike the runway on its nose landing gear. During the third impact, the left nose tire burst. The aircraft was unable to taxi under its own power and was moved to the ramp, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew.
The investigation
Investigators analyzed data from the flight data recorder to reconstruct the approach profile. The data revealed that at approximately 200 feet above the ground, the aircraft's pitch attitude dropped and the descent rate accelerated to over 1,100 feet per minute. The flare was initiated late, at roughly 45 feet, accompanied by an increase in engine pressure ratio.
The investigation also examined the status of the aircraft's spoilers. Because the throttles were positioned forward of the 12.5° threshold, the ground spoilers failed to deploy upon touchdown. Furthermore, the investigation looked into the pilot's recent training history, noting that the captain had recently returned to flight duties following a medical leave and had not yet completed the required three-sector line check to verify competency after his proficiency check had expired.
Findings
- The primary cause of the nose-gear impact was the use of incorrect bounced landing recovery procedures when the captain pushed the control column forward to mitigate a bounce.
- The initial high sink rate during the flare was not identified or corrected early enough to prevent the sequence of bounces.
- The application of power during the flare caused the speedbrakes/spoilers to retract, contributing to the loss of aerodynamic braking and the subsequent rebound.
- The captain had not completed the mandatory line check required to regain competency following the expiry of his pilot proficiency check.