History of the Flight
Royal Aviation flight 4529, a Boeing 727-217, operated a sub-charter from Toronto, Ontario, to St. John's, Newfoundland, with an intermediate stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After a weather-related delay in Halifax, the aircraft departed for St. John's. Upon arrival, the flight crew was vectored for a straight-in ILS approach to runway 11. The tower reported wind from 010 degrees at 20 knots and an RVR of 2,800 feet. The crew saw the runway lights at minimums, but the aircraft was slightly left of centerline and subsequently drifted right. Touchdown was delayed during realignment. After touchdown, speed brakes deployed, the captain applied firm braking, and normal reverse thrust was selected. As the runway end approached, maximum braking and reverse thrust were applied, but the aircraft could not stop on the paved surface and came to rest 300 feet beyond the runway end. The crew notified the tower, but no emergency evacuation was initiated. The incident occurred at 1518 UTC in daylight.
Injuries and Damage
There were no injuries to the 8 crew members or 154 passengers. The aircraft sustained minor fuselage damage. Both pod-mounted engines were substantially damaged by debris during the excursion. The No. 1 tire on the left main gear blew during the landing roll, and there was minor damage to flaps and fairings. Runway end lights and approach lights were damaged.
Personnel Information
The captain, age 30, held an ATPL with 5,400 total flying hours, including 2,400 hours on the Boeing 727. This was his first flight as captain on the 727. The first officer, age 38, held a CPL with 10,300 total hours (1,900 on type). The second officer, age 28, held an ATPL with 2,475 total hours (175 on type). All crew were medically fit and met training requirements.
Aircraft Information
The Boeing 727-217 (serial number 21056) was manufactured in 1975 and had accumulated 59,730.8 airframe hours. It was powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines. The aircraft was certified and maintained per regulations. Weight and balance were within limits. The antiskid system was selected on and serviceable; the INOP lights did not illuminate. The reason for the locked No. 1 wheel could not be determined, but tire analysis indicated the tire did not rotate during landing and plies had worn away.
Meteorological and Aerodrome Information
Weather at St. John's during the approach included low ceilings, reduced visibility in drizzle and fog, and wind from 350 degrees true at 16 knots gusting to 21 knots. Runway 11 is 8,500 feet long and 200 feet wide, equipped with ILS and high-intensity lighting. The runway light intensity was set to maximum.
Flight Path and Investigation
Flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder data were used to reconstruct the flight path. The approach and ILS capture were normal. At approximately 150 feet above decision height, the aircraft was at 165 KIAS with a rate of descent. The crew had set the approach speed bug to 154 KIAS and threshold crossing speed to 147 KIAS, based on earlier winds. The aircraft touched down with about 3,500 feet of runway remaining. The investigation revealed that the crew continued the landing despite insufficient runway to stop on the surface.
Probable Cause
The Board determined that the crew continued with the landing when there was insufficient runway remaining to stop on the runway surface. Contributing to the overrun were ineffective landing technique, excessive altitude and airspeed over the runway threshold, and the use of inappropriate approach limits for a new captain.