What happened
On September 3, 1999, a Jetflite Oy HS 125-700B, registration OH-JET, was operating a flight from Gdansk, Poland, to Turku, Finland, with a crew of three and seven passengers. During the approach to Turku, the crew attempted to extend the landing gear, but the right main landing gear failed to deploy. Despite multiple attempts using both primary and backup systems, the gear remained retracted.
After confirming via visual observation from air traffic control that the right main gear was indeed inside the gear well, the crew decided to divert to Helsinki-Vantaa. This decision was based on the superior emergency response capabilities at Helsinki-Vantaa, the availability of two runways, and the presence of the operator's technical staff at that location.
Upon arrival at Helsinki-Vantaa, the crew requested runway foam to assist with the landing. The aircraft touched down on runway 15 at a speed approximately 25 knots above the recommended approach speed. During the landing roll, the right wing made contact with the runway, causing the aircraft to veer right and come to a stop. While sparks were observed from the wing scraping the pavement, no fire broke out. The crew and passengers evacuated the aircraft safely with no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear and the effectiveness of the emergency response. Technical analysis conducted by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) examined the broken components of the retraction cylinder. Investigators also evaluated the runway foam application, conducting tests at Tampere airport to determine if the foam significantly reduced friction.
Additionally, the investigation reviewed the emergency services' performance, noting issues such as the lack of a specific fire officer in the initial response unit and the presence of unauthorized onlookers near the aircraft after it stopped.