Flight BY226A landing accident at Gerona

1 fatality • Girona, Spain • Landing (descent or approach)

A charter flight from Cardiff to Gerona experienced a heavy landing and subsequent excursion into a field following a loss of visual runway references and a sudden failure of runway lighting.

What happened

On the night of the accident, flight BY2ly226A departed Cardiff for a charter service to Gerona. During the approach, the crew encountered turbulent weather due to a nearby thunderstorm. Although air traffic control offered an ILS approach for runway 20, the crew opted for a VOR/DME procedure for runway 02 to avoid the challenges of a wet, downslope runway with a tailwind. After a wind shift was reported, the crew executed a missed approach and transitioned to an ILS approach for runway 20. During this period, the crew noted that the fuel level had reached the company minimum required for a diversion to Barcelona.

At approximately 23:46, while on the correct glidepath at 250 feet, the captain disconnected the autopilot and autothrottle. The aircraft type began to deviate above the glidepath. Shortly after, at 110 feet, the captain moved the control column forward before returning it to a near-neutral position, causing the aircraft to pitch down and then up. During this maneuver, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway because the runway lights suddenly failed. The GPWS issued a warning regarding an excessive sink rate as the thrust levers were moved to idle.

The aircraft touched down at 21:47:17 with a nose-down attitude and a vertical acceleration of 3.11 g. Following a bounce, the aircraft rolled to the right, and the engines increased power. The pilot applied full nose-down elevator, leading to a second touchdown 1.9 seconds later. The aircraft traveled approximately 343 meters across grassland, struck an earth mound, and hit several trees with the right wing. After striking a boundary fence, the aircraft re-landed in a field where both main landing gears collapsed. The aircraft slid 244 meters before coming to a stop, with the fuselage suffering near-structural failure at two locations. There were 0 fatalities and no injuries reported.

Findings

The crew experienced a loss of visual runway references due to the sudden failure of all runway lights.
The aircraft's flight path was affected by manual control inputs and a deviation from the glidepath following the disconnection of automated systems.

Probable cause

The loss of visual runway references caused by a sudden failure of runway lighting led to an unstable approach and subsequent heavy landing and excursion.

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Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1999-09-14 Boeing 757-200 accident near Girona, Spain?

A charter flight from Cardiff to Gerona experienced a heavy landing and subsequent excursion into a field following a loss of visual runway references and a sudden failure of runway lighting.

Were there any fatalities in the 1999-09-14 Boeing 757-200 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1999-09-14 involved a Boeing 757-200, registration G-BYAG, operated by Britannia Airways, at Girona, Spain.

What was the probable cause of the accident?