What happened
On 10 March 2008, flight DHI292, a Boeing 737-400 operated by Adam SkyConnection Airlines (Adam Air), was conducting a scheduled passenger service from Jakarta's Soekarno – Hatta Airport to Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. The aircraft, registered PK-KKT, was carrying 177 individuals, including two pilots and 175 passengers and crew members.
During the approach to runway 04, the flight crew initially decided to perform a go-around because they felt continuing the approach was unsafe, despite having visual contact with the runway. After being cleared to climb and subsequently re-established on the localizer, the crew received landing clearance as visibility improved. Upon touchdown, the crew noted that the main wheels made minimal contact with the pavement. As the aircraft slowed below 30 knots, it began to yaw toward the right. Despite the pilot applying full left rudder to correct the deviation, the plane drifted off the runway centerline and came to a stop on the shoulder, approximately 40 meters from the right edge of the runway.
There were no injuries reported among the occupants. However, the aircraft sustained heavy damage, including the detachment and collapse of the right main landing gear assembly, which subsequently damaged the right wing and flaps, as well as the displacement of the right engine.
Findings
Investigation of the cockpit voice and flight data recorders revealed that the aircraft was flying below the prescribed glide path, triggering an aural warning that the crew struggled to rectify. While the vertical acceleration recorded during the landing touchdown was 2.97 g—a force not typically sufficient to cause such structural failure—the investigation focused on the aircraft's recent history and mechanical condition.
Data indicated that the aircraft had experienced a hard landing and a bounce during a prior flight. It is believed that this previous hard landing compromised the structural integrity of the landing gear. Furthermore, physical examination of the fractured right main landing gear strut revealed the presence of corrosion on the fracture surface.