What happened
During a night approach to Ujung Pandang-Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar, an aircraft traveling from Surabaya-Juanda Airport experienced a sudden loss of altitude. While on short final approach, the aircraft descended rapidly, striking the runway nose-first at an altitude of approximately 50 feet. The force of the impact caused a tire to burst as the plane continued along the landing course.
Despite the severity of the impact, all 108 occupants were able to evacuate the aircraft without injury. The structural damage to the fuselage was extensive, rendering the aircraft a total loss.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a rapid descent during the final stages of the approach.
- The primary cause of the structural failure was the nose-first impact with the runway surface.