Incident Details
A chartered cargo flight operating from Hidden Bay, Saskatchewan, to Kasba Lake, Northwest Territories, was returning to Hidden Bay under visual flight rules (VFR). The crew of four performed an approach and landing to runway 36 at Hidden Bay Airstrip in a crosswind from the right. The first officer, occupying the right seat, was the pilot flying. After lowering the landing gear and selecting full flaps, the aircraft's speed was reduced to 100 knots. As the aircraft crossed the runway threshold, the crew heard a thump, and the aircraft skipped 40 to 50 feet before touching down on the runway. When the weight of the aircraft transferred to the landing gear, the right main gear unsafe light illuminated. The captain then assumed control, completed the landing roll, and taxied the aircraft to the parking area. During engine shutdown, fuel was observed leaking onto the right main gear assembly. The crew completed the shutdown checklist and evacuated the aircraft. All four crew members escaped unhurt, but the airplane sustained damage beyond repair.
Findings
The Canadian Aviation Safety Board determined that the crew misjudged the altitude of the aircraft while landing in a crosswind. Specific findings included: the lip at the threshold of runway 36 was 10 feet deep; the right main wing landing gear struck this lip during landing; and no evidence of airframe failure or system malfunction prior to or during the flight was discovered.