History of the Flight
The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Geneva to Riga. During the third approach to runway 18, the crew encountered strong and gusty winds. The pilot-in-command reported difficulty maintaining directional control during the landing flare, and the aircraft veered left. It clipped a runway edge light, and during the rollout, the crew observed a low tire pressure indication on the left nose wheel. The aircraft stopped on taxiway B.
Injuries to Persons
No injuries were reported.
Damage to Aircraft
The left nose wheel tire burst, and two runway edge lights were broken.
Other Damage
No other damage was documented.
Meteorological Information
Reported wind conditions varied: at 19:41, wind was 280 degrees at 14 knots gusting 27 knots. Earlier, a tailwind component of 16 knots was reported, exceeding aircraft limitations for the approach.
Flight Recorders
Flight Data Recorder data were used in the investigation.
Tests and Research
The operator, airBaltic, conducted an internal investigation. According to their report, difficulties keeping the aircraft on the runway centerline were attributed to gusty crosswinds. During the third approach, indicated airspeed changed rapidly, and an accidental press of the take-off/go-around (TO/GA) button occurred, disengaging the autothrottle and autopilot. The approach continued manually with the flight director off.
Additional Information
The incident occurred on 21 June 2018 at 19:42 UTC. The aircraft had 130 passengers and 5 crew onboard. The operator reported that the pilot felt unable to maintain straight runway direction due to strong, gusty winds during the flare.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the runway excursion resulted from the aircraft departing the side of the runway during landing in gusty crosswind conditions.