What happened
On the night of 19 October 2022, a de Havilland DHC-8-314, registered as C-GJYZ, was performing an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Pikangered Airport, Ontario, to Sandy Lake Airport, Ontario. The aircraft, operated by Perimeter Aviation, was carrying 28 passengers and 3 crew members.
During the approach to Runway 29, the main landing gear contacted the runway surface roughly 350 feet after passing the threshold. Following this initial contact, the aircraft bounced into the air. The first officer, acting as the pilot flying, attempted to manage the bounce by pitching the aircraft up to mitigate the force of the subsequent impact. After a second, heavy touchdown, the first officer initiated a go-around procedure by increasing engine power. However, the captain, serving as the pilot monitoring, identified that the aircraft had struck the runway with its aft fuselage. The captain immediately took control of the aircraft and reduced the throttles to idle. The aircraft completed its landing roll with about 1600 feet of runway remaining and taxied to the apron without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing maneuvers and the structural impact sustained by the aircraft. Investigators examined the flight controls, the engine response during the attempted go-around, and the physical damage to the airframe.
Findings
- There were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the lower structure of the aft fuselage.
- The primary factor in the structural damage was the aft fuselage strike that occurred during the landing sequence.