What happened
On June 13, 2013, a SAAB 340B, registration C6-SBJ, operated by SkyBahamas Airlines, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Marsh Harbor, Abaco. The flight was carrying 21 passengers and 3 crew members.
As the aircraft approached Runway 09 at Marsh Harbor International Airport, it encountered heavy rain and active thundershowers. During the landing sequence, the aircraft touched down and underwent a series of three progressively larger bounces. During the final bounce, which reached an altitude of approximately 27 feet, the nose landing gear failed. The aircraft subsequently veered off the right side of the runway, traveling through a drainage area before coming to rest in a swampy area. The excursion resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, right propeller, nose landing gear, and the right underside of the fuselage. There were no serious injuries reported among the occupants.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by the AAID examined flight data from the FDR and cockpit voice recordings from the CVR. Investigators analyzed the meteorological conditions, which were characterized by instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with heavy convective activity.
Technical analysis of the flight controls revealed that no aileron or elevator inputs were detected by the crew during or after the touchdown. Furthermore, the investigation found that the crew had failed to complete several standard operating procedures, including the use of proper call-outs and the completion of the before-landing checklist. The investigation also noted that the crew did not follow regulations requiring aircraft to maintain a minimum distance of 20 miles from thunderstorms.
Findings
- The primary cause was the decision by the crew to continue an instrument approach into identified thunderstorm activity over the airfield.
- The crew demonstrated a lack of situational awareness and poor aeronautical decision-making, characterized by an attempt to land before the weather worsened.
- The approach was unstabilized and performed at an excessive airspeed.
- Significant deficiencies in Crew Resource Management (CRM) were observed, including a lack of disciplined communication and the omission of critical duties due to crew familiarity.
- Heavy rain and convective activity at the time of the accident contributed to the loss of control during the landing sequence.