What happened
Flight BW 523, which had previously stopped in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, for refueling and a crew change, was en route to Georgetown, Guyana. The flight departed Piarco at 04:36 UTC, cruising at Flight Level 330. During the transition from the cruise phase to the approach for Runway 06, the aircraft maneuvered to avoid thunderstorm cells located to the north and east of the airport. The approach was conducted in light rain with a reported visibility of 9,000 meters.
After crossing the Final Approach Fix and establishing visual contact with the runway, the pilot disengaged the autopilot and configured the Boeing 737 for landing. Flight data indicated that the flight profile remained normal until the aircraft neared the runway threshold. Audio recordings from the cockpit revealed that the captain expressed concerns regarding the landing conditions and noted that the aircraft was not touching down as expected. Although a go-around was initiated and acknowledged by the First Officer, the aircraft failed to climb and instead touched down approximately 4,700 feet from the threshold of Runway 06. This touchdown left only about 2,700 feet of runway remaining.
Following the touchdown, the crew increased brake pressure, though maximum pressure of 3,000 psi was not reached until the aircraft was nearly at the end of the paved surface. While the ground spoilers were deployed and thrust reversers were partially utilized, the aircraft could not be stopped within the remaining distance. The aircraft subsequently overran the runway, entered a downward trajectory, and sustained a loud impact.
Findings
- The aircraft encountered thunderstorm cells during the approach phase.
- The failure to execute a successful go-around resulted in a touchdown too far down the runway.
- Maximum braking pressure was not achieved until the aircraft was 250 feet from the runway end.