What happened
During a flight traveling from Pueblo, Colorado, to Columbia, South Carolina, the aircraft experienced delamination of the captain's windshield. This mechanical issue necessitated an unscheduled diversion to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to facilitate necessary repairs.
During the approach to Fort Lauderdale, the captain instructed the first officer, who was operating the aircraft, to execute a firm landing to ensure the aircraft's weight was properly transferred to the wheels, as the plane was operating at a light weight. Upon touchdown, the first officer engaged the engine thrust reversers. As the nose landing gear made contact with the runway, the aircraft began to veer toward the left side of the pavement.
Despite efforts by the crew to correct the directional deviation, the aircraft exited the left side of the runway. The excursion continued as the aircraft crossed a taxiway, where it struck a taxiway sign and its concrete foundation. The impact caused the collapse of the nose landing gear, and the aircraft eventually came to a stop. There were no fatalities or injuries reported in the incident.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the aircraft's tires, wheels, brakes, spoilers, and engine thrust reversers revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction prior to the event. Investigation of the runway surface identified alternating dark and light marks from the left main landing gear, appearing approximately 160 feet before the marks from the right main landing gear. At the time of the excursion, the flight crew had been on duty for approximately 17 hours and 45 minutes. The unsuccessful correction of the leftward veer led to the runway excursion.