History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-324 registered G-OOBK, was operating a passenger flight from Cancun to Bristol. The flight crew, consisting of three pilots, began their duty period on 1 October 2010 at Glasgow. They flew to Cancun, rested, and then departed for Bristol on 2 October. The crew reviewed weather forecasts for Bristol, which initially indicated favorable conditions. However, during the flight, the ATIS at Bristol reported rain, reduced visibility, and crosswinds.
Approach and Landing
The commander took control for the approach to Runway 09. The weather included moderate rain, turbulence, and a crosswind component of approximately 52 kt as displayed by the Flight Management Computer (FMC). The aircraft was configured for landing with flap 30 and autobrake 3. During the final approach, the commander disconnected the autopilot and autothrottle. The aircraft touched down heavily on the main landing gear. The flight crew reported being thrown forward, inadvertently moving the control column nose-down, causing a rapid de-rotation before the nose gear contacted the runway.
Damage and Injuries
The hard landing resulted in significant structural damage to the fuselage crown skins between frames STA 610 and STA 632 and stringers 14L and 14R. There were no injuries to the 12 crew members and 258 passengers on board.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that a high rate of hard landings on Runway 09 at Bristol had not been identified through flight data monitoring. Additionally, training material produced by the manufacturer in response to previous similar events had not been presented to the flight crew. The cockpit voice recorder was not disabled after the accident, rendering the recording unavailable. The flight crew reported a momentary longitudinal deceleration at touchdown, which was also recorded by the flight data recorder.
Weather and Runway Conditions
The Met Office provided an aftercast indicating periods of moderate to heavy rain, broken cloud cover, and moderate south-easterly winds. The aftercast also noted potential for wind shear and turbulence. The deck of Runway 09 was wet, and earlier reports mentioned water patches, though these were later reported absent.
Safety Recommendations
Four safety recommendations were made following the investigation.