What happened
On the morning of the incident, a cargo flight, identified as JOS7216, departed from runway 07 at San José-Juan Santamaría Airport at 09:40 local time. The aircraft, a cargo-configured plane, was en route to Guatemala City with a crew of two pilots and a payload of various goods.
While cruising at flight level 210, the flight crew declared an emergency due to malfunctions within the aircraft's hydraulic system. Specifically, the crew observed a drop in hydraulic quantity followed by a loss of pressure in the left hydraulic system. This failure caused the disengagement of the left autopilot and the yaw damper. Following instructions to return to the departure airport, the crew entered a holding pattern before proceeding to land on runway 07.
The aircraft touched down at a speed of 137 knots, which was slightly above the reference speed of 130 knots. During the application of brakes following a normal touchdown, the aircraft began to veer toward the right side of the runway. The plane skidded, performing an almost 90-degree turn, before descending a bank. The force of the excursion caused the undercarriage to separate from the airframe. The aircraft eventually came to a stop in a grassy area approximately five meters below the runway elevation, where the fuselage split into two pieces. Both pilots successfully evacuated the wreckage with minor injuries.
Findings
- The crew experienced a loss of hydraulic pressure in the left system.
- The loss of hydraulic pressure led to the disengagement of critical flight control components, including the left autopilot and yaw damper.
- The aircraft's excursion from the runway occurred during the braking phase of the landing.