Incident Overview
On September 16, 1998, at 2253 central daylight time, a Boeing 737-524 transport airplane, registration N20643, operating as Continental Airlines Flight 475, experienced a loss of control during the landing roll at Don Miguel Hidalgo International Airport near Guadalajara, Mexico. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The two airline transport-rated pilots, four flight attendants, and 102 passengers were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Continental Airlines of Houston, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 121.
Flight Details
Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled international passenger-cargo flight. An IFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed from George Bush International Airport near Houston, Texas, at 2056 for the two-hour flight to Guadalajara, State of Jalisco, Mexico. The scheduled arrival time was 2254.
Approach and Landing
The flight executed a missed approach on the first ILS approach to runway 28 and was subsequently vectored for a second approach to the same runway. Both pilots reported the second approach was uneventful. However, after touchdown, the aircraft drifted to the left side of the runway. The left main landing gear exited the hard surface approximately 2,700 feet from the landing threshold, and eventually all three landing gears departed the 197-foot-wide asphalt runway.
Pilot Reports
The first officer, who was flying the airplane, stated that he never felt any anti-skid cycling during the landing roll and did not experience any "radical braking," which was expected with the auto-brake set to number 3.
Damage
The aircraft's nose landing gear collapsed, resulting in structural damage to the avionics bay, the forward baggage compartment, the engine cowlings, and pylons. Both engines incurred foreign object damage. A total of 15 runway lights on the southern edge of runway 28 were found either sheared or knocked down.
Weather Conditions
The tower operator reported that intermittent heavy rain showers accompanied with downdrafts and strong winds associated with a thunderstorm northeast of the airport prevailed throughout the area at the time of the incident. The two transport category airplanes that landed prior to Continental Flight 475 reported windshear on final approach. The winds issued to Continental 475 by the tower while on short final were from 360 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 40 knots.
Related Incident
Prior to the arrival of Continental Flight 475, an Aeromexico MD-82 drifted to the left side of the runway to the point where the left main gear exited the hard surface. The pilot of that flight stated that he used differential power to regain control and bring the aircraft back onto the runway. The flight taxied to the gate without further incident.