Incident Overview
A twin-engine aircraft operating a regular scheduled service from Alta Airport to Båtsfjord experienced a hard landing, resulting in the collapse of the right main gear and substantial damage. The aircraft departed Alta at 1522 LT with 24 passengers and a crew of three, for a total of 27 occupants. All occupants evacuated safely, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Approach and Loss of Control
The flight was uneventful until the crew began a LOC/DME approach to runway 21. Shortly after passing the missed approach point, the pilot-in-command lost visual contact with the runway. The captain then took over control and continued the approach. During this phase, the aircraft became unstable, and the crew encountered control difficulties due to problems disengaging the autopilot system. These issues caused the aircraft to lose height during the final segment.
Hard Landing and Aftermath
The aircraft touched down hard, causing the right main landing gear to collapse upon impact. After touchdown, the aircraft slid for several dozen meters, veered off the right side of the runway, and came to rest on a grassy area 23 meters to the right of the runway. All 27 occupants evacuated the aircraft safely. The aircraft sustained damage beyond economical repair.
Probable Cause
The investigation identified the following factors contributing to the accident:
- The crew deviated from the prescribed procedure,
- The crew deviated from the company Standard Operating Procedure,
- The crew failed to comply with CRM requirements as described in the company Flight Operations Manual,
- The crew continued the approach after passing the minimum altitude without adequate visual reference to the runway,
- The crew did not consider a 'go around' when passing the Decision Point without adequate visual references to the runway,
- The crew did not consider a 'go around' during a landing with apparent flight control problems,
- The crew completed the landing despite the aircraft not being in a stabilized configuration,
- The non-stabilized landing with a high descent rate overloaded the right undercarriage fuse pin to the point of collapse,
- The public address system did not function when used by the commander for evacuation.