What happened
On 16 April 2013, an Asiana Airlines flight arriving from Harbin Taiping International Airport, China, experienced a tail strike while landing on runway 16 at Incheon International Airport. During the final approach, the aircraft's speed dropped below the required parameters, and the autothroelle disconnected without a proper callout from the flight crew. As the aircraft reached the flare stage, the pilot flying increased thrust and speed, leading to a high sink rate and a subsequent bounce on the runway. During the second touchdown, the aircraft's pitch attitude exceeded the operational limitations of the A321-200, causing the rear fuselage to strike the runway. The impact resulted in three flight attendants sustaining injuries and caused substantial damage to the aircraft's pressure bulkhead, stringers, and exterior skin.
The investigation
The ARAIB examined the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, and the aircraft's maintenance history. The investigation focused on the flight crew's management of the approach, the delegation of flight controls, and the adequacy of existing training programs. Investigators also conducted simulator tests to evaluate how flight crews respond to touchdown bounces. The inquiry looked into the crew's adherence to stabilized approach criteria, the effectiveness of the approach briefing, and the communication between the pilot flying and the pilot monitoring.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain the correct approach speed, which led to a high sink rate and a bounce upon touchdown.
- The tail strike occurred because the pilot failed to maintain idle thrust and failed to establish the proper pitch attitude during the recovery from the bounce.
- The captain had delegated flight control to a first officer who was not yet qualified to handle all phases of flight, which distracted the captain from monitoring the approach.
- There was a lack of proper pre-landing preparation, specifically a failure to brief the crew on pitch attitude limitations to avoid a tail strike.
- The crew failed to execute a go-around despite the approach not meeting stabilized criteria.
- The existing training program relied on theoretical ground school instruction for bounce recovery rather than practical simulator-based proficiency training.
Safety action
Following the investigation, the ARAIB issued several safety recommendations to Asiana Airlines, including the need to reinforce go-around procedures when stabilized approach criteria are not met and to implement simulator-based training for bounce recovery. Recommendations were also made to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to enhance oversight of approach briefings and standard callout procedures during line inspections.