What happened
During an approach to Žilina Airport, the crew was performing a non-precision landing under rainy weather conditions characterized by a powerful tailwind. Due to the wind conditions, the aircraft overshot the intended touchdown point on the runway. In an attempt to stabilize the landing, the crew proceeded with the touchdown despite the excessive distance from the threshold.
Upon making contact with the runway surface, the aircraft experienced a significant bounce, reaching an altitude of approximately 7 metres. During the subsequent descent, the nose gear made primary contact with the ground. The force of this impact caused the nose landing gear to be completely detached from the airframe. Following the gear failure, the aircraft lost directional control and veered toward the right side of the runway, eventually coming to a halt in a nearby grassy area.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in heavy rain with a strong tailwind.
- The landing was excessively long, leading to a high-energy impact.
- The nose gear failure was a direct result of the aircraft striking the ground nose-first after bouncing.
- There were zero fatalities among the nine occupants, all of whom were successfully rescued from the wreckage.
- The aircraft was determined to be a total loss due to the extent of the structural damage.