What happened
On 19 May 2013, a C-130J, registration 04-3144, was performing an aeromedical evacuation mission at Forward Operating Base Shank in Northeast Afghanistan. During the aircraft's second landing attempt at an airfield situated at 6,809 feet MSL, the aircraft touched down approximately 1,500 feet along the runway. Following the touchdown, the aircraft exited the paved surface and traveled roughly 544 feet beyond the runway end. During the excursion, the aircraft struck a ditch, which caused the nose gear to collapse and the right main landing gear to be torn from the fuselage.
The impact caused the right outboard engine to hit the ground, resulting in broken fuel and oil lines. This led to fluid spraying onto a cracked engine casing, which subsequently ignited a fire on the right wing. All personnel on board, including the flight crew, aeromedical evacuation crew, and two ambulatory patients, successfully evacuated the aircraft via the flight-deck emergency escape hatch. There were no fatalities or significant injuries reported, and no civilian property was damaged.
Findings
Investigation into the event determined that the aircraft was traveling at an indicated airspeed 27 knots faster than the calculated touchdown speed. This excessive approach speed caused the aircraft to overshoot the runway end during the landing sequence. The incident occurred during a period of variable winds ranging from 20' to 28 knots.