What happened
On a night cargo flight from Hamilton, Ontario, to Moncton, New Brunswick, a Boeing 727-225 operated by Cargojet Airways, registration C-GCJB, experienced a runway contact during a landing attempt. The flight crew, consisting of a captain and a first officer, performed two unsuccessful approaches due to low visibility and poor weather.
During the second approach, the aircraft was flying an ILS approach to Runway 29. As the aircraft neared the runway surface, the captain intervened to reject the landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft was in a left bank and a nose-up pitch. Because the wings were not leveled before the nose was raised, the left wing's leading-edge slat and trailing-edge flap scraped the runway. The crew was unaware of the contact at the time. A third approach was subsequently completed, and the aircraft landed safely, though it was noted that the fuel level had fallen below the minimum required diversion fuel.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, as well as the weather observation procedures at Moncton. Investigators analyzed the sequence of the two missed approaches and the mechanical state of the aircraft, noting a malfunction in the autopilot's altitude hold function during the second approach.
The investigation also scrutinized the accuracy of the weather information provided to the crew. While the Moncton aerodrome forecast had predicted deteriorating conditions, the actual weather change was not captured by the hourly observations or the ATIS broadcasts provided to the flight crew. The investigation looked into the manual nature of the weather observation process, including the use of a ceiling projector and alidade, and how environmental factors like high-intensity ramp lighting interfered with these observations.
Findings
- The captain's decision to reject the landing on the second approach occurred too late to prevent the aircraft from contacting the runway surface.
- The aircraft's wings were not leveled prior to the nose being raised, which caused the left wing to strike the runway.
- The forecasted deterioration in weather was not detected or reported in a timely manner.
- The weather information provided to the crew did not accurately reflect the actual conditions at the airport, which led to errors in flight planning and an unnecessarily low fuel state.
- The aircraft landed with fuel levels below the minimum diversion fuel specified in the operator's manual.