Incident Overview
An aircraft arriving at Thessaloniki Airport executed an approach in adverse weather conditions. The landing was made too far down the runway, and after touchdown the crew determined that stopping within the remaining distance was not possible. The pilot intentionally veered the aircraft to the right, departing the runway surface. Upon contacting soft ground, the undercarriage was torn off and the aircraft came to rest.
Occupants and Damage
All 35 occupants aboard escaped uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, wind was from 360° at 18 knots gusting to 28 knots. Thunderstorm activity, rain, and a visibility of 5 km were reported. The runway surface was wet, with braking action considered moderate to low.
Official Findings
The following findings were reported: poor weather conditions; wet runway with moderate to low braking action; the flying crew consisted of two highly experienced captains; the crew was under stress during the final approach due to poor weather; wrong approach configuration as the aircraft was too high on the glide; the crew failed to follow the approach checklist; the aircraft landed too far down the runway, about a third past its threshold, reducing the landing distance available; lack of crew coordination; the crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure.