What happened
On a scheduled flight from Calgary to Lloydminster, Alberta, an Alberta Citylink flight involving aircraft C-FBIE, a British Aerospace Jetstream 31, encountered difficulties during the final stages of landing. The flight was carrying 13 passengers and a two-pilot crew, along with 250 pounds of baggage and freight.
During the non-precision ADF approach to runway 25, the first officer was initially handling the controls. Once the runway became visible, the captain assumed control of the aircraft, requested a flap setting of 35 degrees, and began the final descent. Upon making contact with the runway, the left main landing gear failed. This caused both propellers to strike the pavement. The aircraft proceeded to slide approximately 1,800 feet on its belly pod. During this excursion, the left wing made contact with snow at the edge of the runway, causing the plane to veer roughly 160 degrees.
All occupants successfully evacuated via the over-wing exits. There were no injuries reported and no fire occurred during the incident.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary cause was an unstabilized approach, which led to a heavy landing. This occurred because the captain altered the aircraft configuration during the descent, and the resulting high rate of descent was not corrected prior to touchdown. Several factors contributed to this high sink rate, including the reduction of engine power to flight idle, the presence of airframe ice, and limited time available for the final approach phase. Additionally, the lateral movement of the aircraft during the slide contributed to the overall damage sustained.