What happened
On 18 December 2017, an ATR 72-212A, registration EI-REM, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Birmingham International Airport to the Isle of Man Airport. During the landing phase, the co-pilot was acting as the handling pilot. As the aircraft entered the final flare, the pitch increased to approximately 6 degrees, causing the airspeed to drop below the calculated approach speed. This led to a firm touchdown with a vertical acceleration of 1.31 g, during which the tail bumper on the underside of the rear fuselage made contact with the runway.
An air traffic controller observed sparks emanating from beneath the rear of the aircraft during the landing roll. While the subsequent rollout appeared normal, the controller requested a runway inspection and notified the flight crew. The crew was unaware that the tail had struck the ground until they were informed by air traffic control.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's flight management system and Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) data. The FDM analysis revealed that the pitch angle at touchdown was 6.94 degrees. According to the manufacturer's guidelines for the ATR 72, this value fell within the low-risk category for high pitch at touchdown, which uses thresholds of 6, 7, and 8 degrees to define low, medium, and high risk.
Engineers inspected the aircraft following the event and identified light abrasion damage to the tail bumper. The damage was deemed minor enough that no maintenance action was required for the aircraft to remain in service. There were no injuries to the 4 crew members or 70 passengers on board.
Findings
- The tail strike was caused by a combination of a high pitch angle at touchdown, reduced airspeed, the aircraft's high landing weight, and the downward slope of the runway touchdown zone.