History of the Flight
On 2 September 2007, a Casa 212-200 aircraft, registered PK-NCN, operated by PT. Merpati Nusantara Airlines as scheduled passenger flight MZ 7976, departed from Pattimura Airport, Ambon, for Rar Gwarma Airport, Dobo, with a stopover at Langgur Airport. The aircraft departed Ambon in an airworthy condition and no significant events were reported until landing at Langgur.
During the flight from Langgur to Dobo, the co-pilot acted as the flying pilot. On final approach to Dobo, with the aircraft speed at approximately 90 knots, a sudden bump occurred. The co-pilot attempted to correct the situation by pushing the control column forward and simultaneously reducing the power lever. At about 100 feet of altitude, the pilot-in-command (PIC) called out, "EH – EH – EH, I HAVE CONTROL." The PIC decided to go around and applied power.
During the go-around, the aircraft touched the ground on a grass-covered area about 38 meters before the beginning of runway 05 and rolled approximately 8 meters. The area was covered with grass up to 60 centimeters tall. During this ground roll, the left main landing gear impacted a mound about 25 centimeters high.
The aircraft successfully completed the go-around and landed using runway 23. It touched down about 130 meters from the beginning of the runway on the centerline. Immediately after touchdown, the aircraft veered to the left of the centerline. The PIC managed to correct and the aircraft returned to the centerline. The aircraft stopped on the runway at 665 meters from the beginning of runway 23, about 25 meters from the taxiway.
All passengers and crew disembarked normally on the runway. No one was injured in this accident. The aircraft was later towed to the apron by a truck.
Injuries to Persons
The accident resulted in no injuries. The flight crew consisted of 3 persons (including the PIC and co-pilot) and there were 19 passengers, totaling 22 occupants on board. No fatalities or serious injuries occurred.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The attachment structure of the left main landing gear was broken, causing the landing gear to shift rearward. Specific damage included:
- Mounting structure of the left landing gear broken.
- Skin around the handle structure of the left landing gear wrinkled.
- Frame number 8 bent backward.
- Frame number 9 bent backward.
- Lower skin part around frame 8 wrinkled, with some rivets detached.
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command was a male, born 3 April 1972, of Indonesian nationality. He held an Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) issued on 10 January 2002, valid until 31 January 2008, with a type rating for the CASA 212-200. His medical certificate was Class 1, dated 18 July 2007. His last line check was on 30 July 2007 and last proficiency check on 18 August 2007. He had a total of 5,024 hours 35 minutes flight time, with 4,850 hours on type. His recent flying included 127 hours in the last 90 days, 53 hours 56 minutes in the last 30 days, and 2 hours 45 minutes in the last 3 days. This flight was 45 minutes long.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Casa 212-200, registration PK-NCN. It was operated by PT. Merpati Nusantara Airlines. The aircraft was airworthy prior to departure. The specific engine and propeller data were detailed in the report but are not summarized here.