What happened
During an Area Navigation, Global Positioning System (RNAV/GPS) approach to runway 22, the flight crew was managing approach speeds in response to varying wind conditions. To compensate for wind, the first officer had increased engine thrust, which initially resulted in an excessive approach speed. As the aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA), the first officer briefly utilized the speed brakes. However, these were retracted approximately 200 feet above ground level, at which point the engine power was reduced to flight idle.
This sequence of actions caused the aircraft to lose sufficient airspeed and develop an excessive sink rate. The Airbus A320 subsequently made a hard impact on the runway. The force of the landing caused the right main landing gear to impact the right wing, leading to substantial damage to the right wing spar. While the first officer noted discrepancies between the cockpit airspeed indicators, inspections of the pitot-static system found no malfunctions. The crew also noted the presence of wind gusts up to 24 knots, and the captain suspected windshear, though no official windshear advisories had been issued by air traffic control for that specific flight.
Findings
Investigation into the event identified that the deployment of speed brakes below 500 feet agl while flaps were extended was a violation of the airplane flight manual (AFM) prohibitions. The combination of reducing engine power to idle and the subsequent management of the speed brakes contributed to the aircraft becoming low and slow, leading to the uncontrolled descent rate and the resulting structural damage.