What happened
On August 1, 2018, a Travel Service flight, operating a Boeing 737-800 with registration N624XA, arrived at Pardubice Airport (LKPD) from Heraklion (LGIR). The flight was performing an ILS approach to runway 27 following a rain shower.
During the approach, the first officer transitioned from autopilot to manual flight at approximately 1,000 ft AGL. The aircraft touched down approximately 965 meters from the threshold, significantly beyond the touchdown zone. Although the crew utilized reverse thrust and the aircraft began to decelerate, the pilot in command (PIC) did not take sufficient action to ensure the aircraft would stop within the remaining runway length. The aircraft failed to decelerate adequately and exited the runway via taxiway D, with the main landing gear traveling approximately 12 meters into an unpaved area. There were no injuries to the 159 passengers or the crew, and no damage was sustained by the aircraft.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined flight data from the DFDR and CVR, air traffic services records, airport camera footage, and passenger cabin video. The investigation focused on the crew's performance during the critical phases of landing and the environmental conditions on the runway.
Investigators noted that while the runway was reported as wet, the measured water depth was only 0.9 mm/m², suggesting that dynamic aquaplaning was unlikely. The investigation also scrutinized the crew's communication and adherence to standard operating procedures, specifically regarding the use of sterile flight deck protocols and landing performance assessments.