What happened
On 3 June 1999, an Airbus A3/21, registration G-OOAI, was performing a scheduled public transport flight returning to Manchester Airport. The flight, carrying 221 passengers and 7 crew members, was conducting an ILS approach to Runway 24R under wet surface conditions and light rain.
While the approach was initially stable, the aircraft began to drift above the glideslope at approximately 150 feet agl. The first officer responded with a forward sidestick input to lower the nose, but the rate of descent remained high at 900 feet per minute. As the aircraft descended through 30 feet agl, the commander noted the high sink rate and issued a warning to the first officer.
Despite increasing the pitch attitude via the sidestick, the aircraft made a very firm touchdown on the main gear. Following the initial contact, the aircraft appeared to bounce, and the pitch attitude continued to increase significantly. The commander intervened, taking control of the aircraft to arrest the pitch-up. During this sequence, the aircraft's rear fuselage made contact with the runway, resulting in a tail strike.
The investigation
Investigators analyzed data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockulated Voice Recorder (CVR), which captured the entire landing sequence. The investigation compared the flight parameters to previous successful landings of G-OOAI. It was noted that in typical uneventful landings, the descent rate is reduced much earlier, usually between 60 and 100 feet agl, resulting in a much shallower touchdown.
Engineers inspected the aircraft and identified abrasion damage to the skin, frames, and stringers over an area of approximately 137 cm by 46 cm between frames 62 and 65. A post-flight heavy landing inspection confirmed no other structural damage. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft's center of gravity, weight, and approach speeds were all within correct operational limits.