Incident Summary
A flight enroute from Pueblo, Colorado, to Columbia, South Carolina, was diverted to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after the captain's windshield delaminated. The flight crew reported that the first officer was flying the airplane and had been instructed by the captain to make a firm landing to ensure the aircraft's weight was on the wheels due to the airplane being light.
Sequence of Events
The landing was firm, and the first officer activated the engine thrust reversers. As the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane began veering to the left. Attempts to control the veer were unsuccessful, and the airplane ran off the left side of the runway. It then traversed a taxiway and collided with a taxiway sign and its concrete base. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest.
Examination Findings
Examination of the runway revealed alternating dark and light marks from the left main landing gear tire were present on the runway approximately 160 feet before marks from the right main landing gear tire appeared. Post-accident inspection of the landing gear, tires, wheels, brakes, spoilers, and engine thrust reversers showed no evidence of pre-accident failure or malfunction.
Crew Duty Time
At the time of the accident, the flight crew had been on duty for about 17 hours and 45 minutes. Fatigue due to this extended duty period was identified as a factor in the accident.