What happened
On the scheduled flight path traveling from Mandalay through Myitkyina and Bagan before returning to Yangon, an ATR 72 operated by Air Bagan departed Mandalay at 17:20. During the flight toward Yangon International Airport, the first officer was managing the controls. While weather conditions were initially not a major concern, the seat belt sign was activated once during the transit.
As the aircraft approached Mingaladon Tower, air traffic control reported a visibility of 6km and provided clearance to land on runway 21, noting that the surface was wet. Upon reaching the decision height of 250ft, the crew could see the runway and its lighting despite light rainfall. However, as the aircraft descended to approximately 50ft, a sudden increase in rainfall caused visibility to deteriorate rapidly. At this point, the pilot took control of the aircraft.
During the landing sequence, the aircraft experienced a hard landing followed by a skid. The aircraft veered off the left side of the runway into a muddy area, eventually coming to a stop approximately 2800ft from the runway threshold and 75ft away from the runway edge.
Findings
- Sudden intensification of rainfall during the final approach phase.
- Significant reduction in visibility at low altitude.
- Presence of a wet runway surface.