What happened
On the early morning of July 16, 2018, a Boeing 737-8F2, registration LV-HQY, was performing a scheduled commercial flight from Iguazú International Airport to El Palomar Airport. During the takeoff roll on runway 31, the aircraft experienced an abrupt positive pitch. This maneuver caused the rear lower section of the fuselage to make contact with the runway surface, resulting in a tail strike. The flight crew immediately aborted the takeoff and returned the aircraft to the apron. The incident occurred at night under good visibility conditions. There were no fatalities or injuries among the 65 passengers and 6 crew members on board, though the aircraft sustained significant structural damage to the fuselage skin, stringers, and frames.
The investigation
The Argentine Transportation Safety Board (JST) conducted a comprehensive investigation into the event, examining technical, operational, and institutional factors. The inquiry focused on the aircraft's weight and balance, the crew's performance, and the oversight of ground services. Investigators reviewed flight data, maintenance records, and the operational procedures of the airline, as well as the regulatory oversight provided by the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC).
Findings
Significant safety concerns were identified regarding the management of aircraft loading and ground operations. The investigation established that the improper distribution of weight and balance was a critical factor. Specifically, the airline's dispatch manual contained outdated references to the Boeing 737-200, and the manual method used to calculate the center of gravity for the Boeing 737-8F2 was erroneous. Furthermore, the aircraft's weight and balance documentation had not been updated following a cabin configuration change.
Additional contributing factors included systemic issues in ground service management. The dispatcher responsible for the flight had exceeded permitted service hours, having worked 39 hours in the period leading up to the incident. The investigation also noted a lack of adequate safety oversight for third-party service providers at the Iguazú station and identified gaps in the airline's safety management system (SMS) implementation and crew training regarding passenger distribution risks.