What happened
On 17 September 2018, a Thai AirAsia Airbus A320-216, registration HS-ABI, was performing a scheduled flight from Chiang Mai International Airport to Don Mueang International Airport. The aircraft was carrying 170 passengers and 6 crew members.
During the approach to runway 21R, the co-pilot was acting as the pilot flying. After receiving landing clearance at approximately 500 feet, the co-pilot disengaged the autopilot. At an altitude of roughly 200 feet, the aircraft's nose was noted to be higher than the glide slope. The co-pilot attempted to correct this by increasing the rate of descent to approximately 1,000 feet per minute; however, the aircraft responded slowly to the control inputs.
The aircraft subsequently hit the runway with significant force and bounced at a high pitch attitude, triggering an automatic "Pitch Pitch" audio warning. The pilot took control and applied full forward stick to stabilize the aircraft until it came to a stop. Upon returning to the parking stand, an engineer discovered severe scratch marks and damage to the lower rear fuselage, involving the replacement of skin sections and structural components.
There were no serious injuries or fatalities among the 176 people on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path, crew performance, and aircraft condition. While all aircraft systems and engines were functioning normally, investigators noted that air traffic was dense, which had delayed landing clearance due to another aircraft crossing the runway.
Investigators analyzed the crew's actions during the final stages of the approach. The flight data recorders could not be analyzed due to a transmission failure in the connected device. However, the investigation established that the aircraft's flight path was unstable prior to touchdown.