What happened
On 9 November 2017, a Bombardier DHC-8-402 operated by Jazz Aviation LP was performing a scheduled flight from Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The aircraft was carrying 52 passengers and 4 crew members.
During the landing phase in Toronto, the aircraft encountered gusty wind conditions, which caused the plane to bounce before making a firm second contact with the runway. Following this impact, a caution light on the flight data recorder illuminated. The crew proceeded to taxi the aircraft to the gate without incident. Following a visual inspection by the flight crew, no irregularities were identified, and the decision was made that a formal hard landing maintenance inspection was unnecessary.
However, upon the completion of the return flight to Montreal, the crew requested a mechanical inspection of the aircraft. During this subsequent check, maintenance staff identified structural damage to the right main landing gear and the aft right section of the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events surrounding the landing and the subsequent discovery of damage. Investigators examined the impact of the wind conditions on the landing profile and the effectiveness of the initial visual inspection performed by the flight crew.