What happened
On December 25, 2012, a J-AIR Corporation Bombardier CL600-2B19, registered JA202J, was operating a scheduled flight from New Chitose Airport to Hanamaki Airport. The aircraft, carrying 42 passengers and 3 crew members, landed on Runway 20 at approximately 17:20 JST.
During the landing roll, the captain applied full brakes and full reverse thrust. However, the pilot noted that braking effectiveness felt weaker than usual. As the aircraft slowed to 80 knots, the pilot transitioned from full reverse to idle reverse. Once the thrust reversers were stopped, the deceleration rate dropped significantly. The aircraft's nose began to drift to the right, likely due to a weathercock effect from wind from the right.
In an attempt to correct the course, the pilot applied significant left rudder. This caused the nose to swing sharply to the left. The pilot then reacted by suddenly applying maximum right rudder to stop the leftward swing. This abrupt input, combined with the slippery runway surface, caused the nose wheel to lose traction. The aircraft eventually veered off the side of the runway, with the nose landing gear protruding approximately 7 meters beyond the pavement, where it sank into the ground and disabled the aircraft's ability to taxi.
The investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) examined flight data from the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), as well as communications and crew statements. The investigation focused on the runway surface conditions, the pilots' decision-making regarding weather updates, and the physical mechanics of the aircraft's deviation from the centerline.
Findings
- The runway surface was more slippery than the crew had anticipated. While a runway condition check at 16:18 indicated 10mm of wet snow and poor braking action, continuous light snow showers and freezing temperatures likely deteriorated the surface further by the time of landing.
- The flight crew failed to make a comprehensive assessment of the landing risk because they mistakenly assumed the runway information received from Hanamake RADIO was more recent than the data provided by their company's flight operations staff, without verifying the timestamp of the radio report.
- The decrease in deceleration was exacerbated because the pilot stopped using thrust reversers before confirming that the brakes were sufficiently effective in the slippery conditions.
- The sudden, large-scale rudder inputs—first to the left to correct a rightward drift and then sharply to the right to counter the leftward swing—contributed to the loss of directional control.
Safety action
Following the incident, J-AIR Corporation issued several directives to its staff:
- Flight crews are instructed to seek the most recent runway information and avoid sudden rudder movements when responding to nose deflection.
- Pilots are advised to continue using idle reverse even below 60 knots when braking action is poor, ensuring deceleration is confirmed.
- Flight operations staff must ensure reliable, up-to-date runway condition information is communicated to crews through close coordination with airport administrators.