Synopsis
On 25 November 2019 at 09:08 local time, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-343 aircraft, registration 9V-SSI, operated flight SQ998 from Singapore to Yangon, Myanmar. During landing on Runway 21 at Yangon International Airport, the aircraft experienced a tail strike. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of Myanmar classified the occurrence as a serious incident. There were no injuries to the 13 crew members and 282 passengers on board.
Flight History
The flight crew consisted of a pilot-in-command (PIC) serving as instructor pilot and pilot monitoring, a pilot flying (PF) who was a captain undergoing type training, and a safety pilot (SP) positioned in the first observer seat. At the top of descent, the PF indicated an intention to initiate flare earlier at 50 ft above ground level to compensate for the upslope of the runway and expected tailwind.
The autopilot was disengaged at 09:06:15, and the PF conducted a manual approach. Flare initiation began at 09:08:30, when the aircraft was at 100 ft AGL, earlier than planned. The PIC prompted “flare” twice, leading to increased pitch-up input. At 09:08:34, the main landing gears made first contact with the runway at a pitch angle of 7.21 degrees nose-up, 136 knots IAS, and heading 212.9 degrees. The aircraft subsequently bounced: the left and right main gear weight-on-wheels signals cycled from Ground to Air at 09:08:35 and back to Ground at 09:08:37. During the second touchdown, thrust reversers deployed, ground spoilers extended, and the pitch angle increased to a maximum of 10.72 degrees. The nose gear touched down at 09:08:54. The aircraft vacated the runway at 09:09:33. The flight crew reported being unaware of the tail strike until informed by ground maintenance during the post-flight check.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft, an Airbus A330-343 with serial number 1666, was manufactured on 29 September 2015 and had accumulated 18,443 total airframe hours. It was owned by AP Leasing 1666 Limited and operated by Singapore Airlines. The PIC held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence, was 52 years old, and had 19,080 total flying hours (688 on type). The PF, aged 44, held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence with 13,926 total hours (2 hours 29 minutes on type) and was on his first line flight as part of A330 conversion training. The SP, aged 50, had 9,522 total flying hours (1,213 on type). All crew members had valid medical certificates and recent line checks. Toxicological tests revealed no abnormalities.
Damage and Site Information
The tail strike caused substantial damage to the fuselage lower skin between frames 68 and 73, including dents, scratches, and tears. Fuselage frames between frames 60 and 73 were bent and scratched. Scrape marks were found on the runway surface, measuring 56.1 m long and 0.7 m wide, located approximately 3,000 ft from the Runway 21 threshold. No fire occurred.
Investigation and Recorders
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were read out by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of Singapore. The FDR contained 109 hours 55 minutes 58 seconds of data, including the incident flight. The CVR provided communication among the flight crew during the occurrence. Weather conditions at 09:00 LT were wind 20° at 5 knots, visibility 6,000 m, temperature 26°C, dew point 25°C, and QNH 1015 hPa. Navigation aids and radio communications were normal and not factors.
Safety Actions
No safety actions were reported in the source.