What happened
During the short final phase of the approach, the corporate jet experienced a significant increase in its sink rate. In an attempt to stabilize the descent, the co-pilot utilized nose up trim and applied back pressure to the elevator. Despite these corrective actions, the rate of descent continued to accelerate. The captain then intervened by applying additional back pressure on the control yoke. Through the coordinated efforts of both crew members, the aircraft's pitch was increased sufficiently to ensure the main landing gear made contact with the runway first. However, the aircraft experienced a hard touchdown upon landing.
Findings
An investigation conducted at the scene identified a physical obstruction within the cockpit. A container used for transporting trip manifests was found wedged between the seat frame and the co-pilot's control yoke column. The crew noted that this specific container is mandatory to keep within the cockpit during flight operations. Furthermore, the pilots indicated that the cockpit lacks a dedicated storage area or designated space for securing such items during flight.