Background
On 14 February 2025, an Airbus A321-211 aircraft, registration PK-TLG, operated by PT. TransNusa Aviation Mandiri, was conducting scheduled commercial flight 8B699 from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (WMSA), Subang, Malaysia.
Flight History
The flight departed Jakarta without reported abnormalities. It was the third sector of the day for the Pilot-in-Command (PIC), who reported mild flu-like symptoms and a slight cough prior to the flight. During the flight, the PIC expressed feeling unwell and bloated, but assessed himself as fit to operate. The Second-in-Command (SIC) was assigned Pilot Monitoring duties; this was his first time operating the Airbus A321. An engineer from the operator was onboard as a passenger.
Incident
An Instrument Landing System approach was conducted for Runway 15. The approach was stabilized above 1,000 feet radio altitude. Below 1,000 feet, tailwind components varied from 10 to 15 knots. At 390 feet RA, the autopilot was disengaged; the PIC manually flew the final segment. At 43 feet RA, the vertical descent rate was approximately 900 fpm, decreasing to 700 fpm before touchdown. A short flare was initiated, and dual side-stick inputs were recorded at main gear contact. The aircraft experienced a hard landing.
After vacating the runway, the aircraft parked at Bay 5. The cockpit crew were aware of the likelihood of a hard landing due to automatic generation of Load Report 15, but the PIC did not report the incident. The onboard engineer inquired about the report but was denied. No entry was made in the Aircraft Maintenance Log. The aircraft was later towed for scheduled maintenance.
Investigation
On the night of 15 February 2025, a Flight Line technician downloaded Load Report 15 data, identifying a Vertical Recorded Touchdown Acceleration of 2.86 G. Airbus confirmed a hard landing and recommended inspection per the Aircraft Maintenance Manual. Inspection on 17 February 2025 revealed thirteen structural damages.
Conclusion
The AAIB determined that the hard landing was caused by the PIC's decision to continue the approach despite tailwind conditions and his impaired physical condition, combined with the SIC's failure to intervene effectively.