What happened
On June 15, 2005, a Japan Airlines International Boeing 767-300, registered JA8986, was operating a scheduled flight from New Chitose Airport to Tokyo International Airport. As the aircraft approached Runway 34L, the flight crew was managing a landing sequence with a north-northeast wind.
During the final stages of the approach, flight data indicates significant fluctuations in the control column and lateral movement of the control wheel. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a heavy vertical impact. Shortly after the main landing gear made contact, the nose gear struck the runway with excessive force. This impact caused the left tire to burst and the nose gear assembly to sustain structural damage, including a bent axle. The damage was severe enough that the aircraft was unable to taxi under its own power, resulting in a runway excursion where the aircraft came to a stop approximately 1,585 meters from the threshold. While 17 passengers sustained minor injuries, there were no fatalities among the 222 people on board.
The investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) conducted a detailed examination of the aircraft's flight recorders, including the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). Investigators performed a teardown inspection of the nose gear, which revealed a bent axle and destroyed wheel components. The investigation also included a thorough analysis of the runway surface, where debris from the wheels and tires was recovered, and a study of the tire's structural integrity. Flight simulators were utilized to research the specific movement characteristics of the Boeing 767-300 during landing sequences to understand how the aircraft's pitch and roll responded to the impact.