What happened
On 5 July 2007, an Airbus A320, registration G-DHJZ, was operating a commercial passenger flight from London Gatwick to Kos, Greece. During the approach to Runway 32, the aircraft was flying with a co-pilot undergoing line training. The approach was unstable; at 160 ft altitude, the aircraft was above the glidepath with a descent rate of approximately 1,000 ft/min.
As the aircraft neared the ground, the co-pilot initiated the flare at approximately 35 ft altitude. However, the flare was insufficient to arrest the high rate of descent. The aircraft touched down heavily with a recorded normal acceleration of 3.15g. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce, and during the subsequent second touchdown, the pitch attitude reached 11.6 degrees, narrowly avoiding a tailstrike. Following the bounce, the aircraft settled on the runway, where the main landing gear sustained severe damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and the training history of the crew. It was established that the commander attempted to intervene by applying significant aft sidestick input to prevent the heavy impact, but the effect was negligible. The investigation also reviewed the operator's training protocols and the specific challenges posed by the terrain at Kos Airport, which can provide misleading visual cues regarding the aircraft's glidepath.
Findings
- The primary cause of the heavy landing was a late and insufficient flare by the co-pilot.
- The approach was unstable, characterized by a high rate of descent and a flight path angle of nearly 4 degrees.
- The terrain at Kos Airport, which rises steeply toward the threshold, contributed to a misleading visual perspective, making it difficult for the crew to judge the correct glidepath.
- The co-pilot's training records indicated a recurring pattern of inconsistent landing techniques and late flares during simulator and line training.
- The commander's attempt to intervene via sidestick input was ineffective due to the timing and the nature of the aircraft's flight control system during the flare phase.