Brazil inquiry says Gol 737 crew should have gone around at Recife

Brazilian accident investigators have concluded that the crew of a Gol Boeing 737-800 should have abandoned the approach when the weather worsened before the jet ran off the side of a Recife runway.

The approach to runway 18 was made at night in a left crosswind averaging more than 10kt, with rain reducing visibility and growing heavier below 200ft. According to the inquiry authority CENIPA, the approach was stable. The aircraft crossed the threshold at 50ft virtually lined up with the centreline, but showed a tendency to drift right.

Cockpit audio showed the first officer spotting the drift just after the automated 10ft call-out and telling the captain three times to correct to the left. CENIPA found the captain's corrections ineffective and insufficient to stop the jet moving right.

The main landing gear touched down to the right of the centreline, about 7m (23ft) from the runway edge. Both main gear legs crossed the edge 225m into the landing roll, and one right-hand tyre ran onto grass. The jet travelled roughly 465m outside the runway's lateral limits, including 240m on grass, before coming fully back onto the runway at taxiway G. Four runway lights were struck.

None of the 178 people on board was hurt in the event of 17 February 2022. Damage to the aircraft, registered PR-GUH, was minor and confined to tyres and a few underside fuselage panels.

The inquiry describes the conditions as challenging, citing darkness, the crosswind, a wet runway and rain that made the centreline markings harder to see.