What happened
On November 21, 2019, a Turkish Airlines flight operating from Istanbul to Odesa, involving a Boeing 737-800 with registration TC-JGZ, experienced a runway excursion during its landing phase. The flight departed Istanbul at 17:33 and arrived at the destination at 18:55. The aircraft was carrying 136 passengers and a significant amount of luggage.
During the initial approach to Runway 16 using the ILS, the crew encountered a substantial and variable crosswind. This instability led the crew to execute a go-around from an altitude of approximately 50 meters. Following the missed approach, the aircraft entered a holding pattern to wait for more favorable wind conditions. After receiving clearance for a second approach, the aircraft touched down at 18:55.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft began to drift to the left during the landing roll. The aircraft exited the runway onto the cleared, graded area, traveling 550 meters on the soil. During this excursion, the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft eventually returned to the runway surface with its right main gear and came to a stop 1,612 meters from the runway threshold. An emergency evacuation was conducted for all occupants. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries among the passengers and crew.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained heavy damage to the left engine and the forward section of the fuselage.
- The aircraft deviated from the runway centerline due to a significant crosswind component during the landing roll.