What happened
On March 1, 2005, an Embraer 170 was performing an instrument approach to runway 25R at Frankfurt/Main. The flight, operated by an Italian carrier, had departed from Milan-Malpensa approximately 30 minutes behind schedule. The aircraft was carrying 24 passengers and four crew members.
The approach initially proceeded normally using the Instrument Landing System (ILS) with the autopilot engaged. However, approximately 29 seconds before touchdown, the autopilot was disconnected at an altitude of about 340 ft, and the co-pilot took over manual control. Flight data indicates that 27 seconds before landing, control inputs on the right column pushed the aircraft below the 3-degree glidepath. The aircraft remained below the established glidepath for 2 and a half seconds before the crew began a flare phase five seconds before touchdown.
As a result of this descent, the main landing gear struck the approach lighting system approximately 60 meters before the runway threshold. The impact caused damage to the landing gear, the underside of the fuselage, and the trailing edge of the right flap, as well as damage to five approach lights. The aircraft subsequently taxied via taxiways F, A, and E to stand B2.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) to reconstruct the flight path. The analysis of the FDR confirmed that the aircraft's pitch decreased from +1° to an average of 0° during the period it was below the glidepath. The investigation also reviewed the crew's experience, the aircraft's maintenance records, and meteorological conditions, which were clear with visibility exceeding 10 km.
Findings
- The crew intentionally flew below the ILS glidepath to achieve a shorter landing roll, aiming to reach stand B2 via the shortest possible taxi route.
- The primary cause of the collision was the decision to fly below the glidepath to facilitate a short landing.
- The 30-minute flight delay acted as a contributing factor, creating time pressure that influenced the crew's decision-making.
- The relative inexperience of both pilots on the Embraer 170 type contributed to the event, as the danger of an undershoot was not recognized in time.
- There were no technical malfunctions or mechanical failures identified in the aircraft or its systems.