What happened
During a night aeromedical positioning flight, the crew transitioned from an instrument flight plan to a visual approach after identifying the airport and activating runway lights. The pilot not flying reported that the aircraft type/model was in a stabilized, wings-level configuration with flaps fully extended during the final approach. While the pilot flying initially utilized the vertical approach slope indicator (VASI) for guidance, the aircraft drifted below the established glidepath, and no corrective action was taken to return to the proper descent path.
On short final, the crew confirmed the landing gear was down and locked via the three green indicator lights, with an airspeed of 110 knots. Upon touchdown, the landing was described as a firm impact, immediately followed by a loud noise and the total failure of all three landing gear components. The aircraft slid approximately 825 feet down the runway on its belly. Both the pilot and the crew successfully evacuated the aircraft before a post-accident fire consumed the wreckage. Investigation of the site showed the impact occurred roughly 100 feet short of the displaced threshold, with debris from the gear spreading 565 feet beyond the initial contact point.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating normally with no reported discrepancies prior to the incident.
- The pilot's failure to maintain the VASI glidepath and the resulting high descent rate during touchdown led to a hard landing that caused the structural failure of the landing gear.