What happened
On June 22, 2008, a Bombardier DHC-8-402, registered as HB-JGA, was operating a charter flight from Palma de Mallorca to Bern-Belp. The aircraft, operated by Sky Work AG, was carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members.
Upon arrival at Bern-Belp, the crew requested a visual approach to runway 14, which was cleared by air traffic control despite expected headwinds. During the final stages of the landing flare, the crew identified an excessive sink rate. In an attempt to correct this, the crew increased the aircraft's pitch angle. This maneuver resulted in the tail of the aircraft making contact with the runway surface.
While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, all occupants were able to evacuate normally. Two individuals, a flight attendant and a passenger, sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) examined the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, and various flight parameters, including sink rate, airspeed, and power lever angles. The investigation reviewed the crew's actions during the approach, the aircraft's configuration, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the tail strike caused by the crew's decision to increase the pitch attitude rather than applying additional power to counteract a high sink rate.
- The crew's fatigue may have been a contributing factor to the error in judgment during the landing phase.