What happened
On October 23, 2020, at 09:24 JST, an Oriental Air Bridge Co., Ltd. Bombardier DHC-8-402, registered JA845A, experienced a tail strike while landing on Runway 03 at Fukue Airport, Nagasaki Prefecture. The flight, operating as scheduled service 93 from Fukuoka, was carrying 50 passengers and 4 crew members. There were no injuries reported during the incident.
As the aircraft descended toward Fukue Airport, it encountered significant air turbulence. While the flight crew had transitioned from instrument to visual flight rules due to favorable weather, the aircraft experienced intermittent shaking and fluctuations in both airspeed and approach path due to wind disturbances. During the final approach, the aircraft's airspeed exceeded the target parameters, prompting a deviation call from the first officer. Despite these fluctuations, the captain continued the approach, performing frequent corrective maneuvers.
Upon crossing the runway threshold, the aircraft's airspeed dropped rapidly. During the flare, the captain attempted to arrest the descent rate by increasing the nose-up attitude. However, the descent rate did not decrease as expected, and the aircraft's tail contacted the runway surface at 09:24:32. The impact caused damage to the outer skin and internal structural members of the lower aft fuselage.
The investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) examined flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data, alongside meteorological reports and aircraft maintenance records. The investigation focused on the impact of turbulence on the aircraft's stability, the pilot's decision-making regarding a potential go-around, and the specific aerodynamic changes occurring during the landing flare.
Findings
- The investigation established that turbulence was present over the runway, likely caused by the influence of local geographical features and wind conditions. This turbulence led to significant fluctuations in pitch attitude and airspeed.
- The aircraft was not in a stabilized approach as it passed the runway threshold, as the airspeed and pitch were subject to rapid changes.
- A rapid reduction in airspeed occurred during the flare, likely due to a decrease in the headwind component caused by the wind gusts.
- The captain continued the nose-up operation until moments before touchdown in an attempt to stop the descent, which ultimately led to the tail striking the runway.
Safety action
Following the accident, the operator implemented several safety measures, including:
- Retraining and extraordinary examinations for the involved crew members.
- Revised procedures for the Pilot Monitoring (PM) to call out specific pitch angle deviations.
- Enhanced documentation of meteorological characteristics and landing precautions for remote island operations.