What happened
During an approach to the Barneo Ice Station, an aircraft encountered significantly degraded weather conditions. While operating in low visibility, the aircraft experienced a heavy landing involving an acceleration of 2.4 g. This impact resulted in a partial collapse of the right main landing gear, leaving the plane resting in a nose-up position on the icy runway.
Following the incident, all 17 occupants were able to evacuate the aircraft without injury. Although the airframe sustained only minor damage, the decision was made to abandon the vessel as repairs were deemed unfeasible. Following an insurance claim filed on April 24, 2015, the engines were salvaged from the site.
The abandoned aircraft remained on the ice floe as it drifted westward. Between July 26 and July 27, 2015, the ice floe fractured, leading to the aircraft sinking into the Arctic Ocean.
Findings
Investigators determined that the primary reason for the heavy impact was the premature deployment of interceptors by the crew during the approach phase.