What happened
On 17 January 2009, a Saab-Scania SF340B, registration G-LGNE, was performing a commercial passenger flight from Glasgow to Benbecula Airport in the Western Isles. During the landing phase on Runway 24, the aircraft's nose could not be lowered despite the crew moving the control column forward. As the groundspeed decreased to approximately 40 kt, the rear underside of the fuselage made contact with the runway surface. The co-pilot attempted to use a combination of wheel brakes and propeller reverse thrust to bring the nosewheel down, eventually allowing the aircraft to come to a stop. There were no injuries to the three crew members or ten passengers on board, though the aircraft sustained abrasion to the aluminium skin and a mounting bracket.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the aircraft was loaded with a center of gravity (CG) significantly beyond the aft limit for takeoff, landing, and flight. The investigation focused on the loading and communication procedures between the load controller in Manchester and the dispatcher in Glasgow. It was found that while the load controller had calculated that a change in passenger seating was necessary to maintain a safe trim, the updated flight closure message was never received by the dispatcher. Consequently, the dispatcher did not amend the seating plan, and the crew boarded the aircraft according to an outdated plan that placed the weight too far aft.
Findings
- The aircraft's CG position was significantly outside the aft limit for all phases of flight.
- A failure in communication occurred when the flight closure message regarding passenger seating changes was not received by the dispatcher.
- The dispatcher was unaware of the need to redistribute passengers to maintain the required CG.
- The crew verified the passenger distribution against a seating plan that was no longer accurate due to the missing update.
- The application of reverse thrust or aerodynamic drag from the propellers may have contributed to an increased tail-down moment during the landing roll.