What happened
On the early morning of 18 March 1998, a Boeing 727-260 cargo aircraft, operating as Canex flight 501, arrived at Hamilton, Ontario, following a multi-stop flight from Vancouver. The flight, which included stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, and Hamilton, was flying in instrument meteorological flight conditions with low visibility due to fog and light snow grains.
During the final stages of an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 12L, the aircraft encountered turbulence and a possible wind shift. The first officer, who was flying the aircraft, allowed the plane to drift right of the runway centerline and began flaring the aircraft early, which caused the descent to stall at approximately 30 feet above the ground.
As the aircraft was off-center and failing to descend, the captain took control of the aircraft. To correct the position, the captain applied hard left rudder input. This maneuver caused the aircraft to roll significantly to the left, resulting in the left wing scraping the runway surface upon touchdown. While the aircraft landed firmly, the impact damaged the leading and trailing edge flaps. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight data recorder (FDR) and the aircraft's handling during the approach. Investigators determined that the aircraft was flying within weight and center of gravity limits and that no mechanical failures contributed to the event.
Analysis of the FDR confirmed that the aircraft experienced a vertical deceleration of approximately 1.5g at touchdown with a left bank of 11.5 degrees. The investigation also looked into the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which was found to be non-functional during the flight. Although the crew had tested the CVR and it appeared serviceable, the unit lacked a manufacturer-issued modification designed to prevent false positive serviceability indications on the cockpit test meter.
Findings
- The aircraft's left wing struck the runway surface because of a significant left roll induced by aggressive rudder input.
- The captain's late takeover of the controls and the necessity for multiple control inputs to realign the aircraft were contributing factors.
- Reduced visibility along the runway due to fog made it difficult for the crew to maintain alignment and judge distance.
- The aircraft drifted from the glide slope and centerline due to turbulence and wind shifts encountered near the ground.