B757 FLT CREW HAS UNSTABILIZED APCH RESULTING IN A TAIL STRIKE AT PBI.

Date: 2003-01 · Aircraft: B757-200

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-unstabilized-approach

Synopsis

B757 FLT CREW HAS UNSTABILIZED APCH RESULTING IN A TAIL STRIKE AT PBI.

Narrative

CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R. IN ORDER TO REACH A STABILIZED CONDITION PRIOR TO 500 FT; THE FO WHO WAS FLYING HAD TO USE A COMBINATION OF SPD BRAKES; FLAPS AND MANEUVERING TO REDUCE ALT AND SLOW THE ACFT TO APCH SPD DUE TO ALT AND CLOSE PROX TO THE ARPT WHEN GIVEN THE VISUAL APCH CLRNC. ACFT INTERCEPTED VASI GLIDE PATH AT APPROX 700 FT AGL AND REACHED COMPUTER APCH SPD AT 400-500 FT AGL. THE REST OF APCH PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL AT 30-40 FT AGL WHEN THE CAPT NOTICED THE SPD BRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED; INDICATING THAT THE SPD BRAKES WERE AFT OF THE ARMED POS OR STILL PARTIALLY DEPLOYED; AT WHICH POINT THE CAPT REACTED BY TRYING TO STOW THE SPD BRAKE HANDLE. IN HIS HASTE; HE DEPLOYED THE SPD BRAKES EVEN FURTHER; RESULTING IN AN EXCESSIVE SINK RATE AND HARD LNDG. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY OF THE PAX AND CREW AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO A COMS ANTENNA; LOW AFT CARGO AREA DRAIN MAST AND SCRAPING TO THE LOWER AFT FUSELAGE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: 1) INEXPERIENCE BY THE CAPT WITH ONLY 120 HRS TOTAL TIME IN THE ACFT; INCLUDING IOE. 2) INEXPERIENCE BY THE FO WITH LESS THAN 300 HRS IN THE ACFT; INCLUDING IOE. 3) FATIGUE BY THE CAPT ALTHOUGH ONLY ON DUTY FOR APPROX 10 HRS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT HE HAD BEEN UP FOR OVER 18 HRS. 4) ACCEPTANCE OF A VISUAL APCH CLRNC MUCH CLOSER TO THE FIELD THAN NORMALLY REQUIRED TO MAKE A SAFE DSCNT. AN EASY SOLUTION; AND ONE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT WOULD BE TO ADD ANOTHER AUDIBLE WARNING TO THE ENHANCED GPWS THAT INDICATES THE SPOILERS ARE AFT OF THE ARMED POS WHEN BELOW A CERTAIN ALT; POSSIBLY 500 FT; AS THERE IS NO GOOD REASON FOR THEM TO BE DEPLOYED BELOW THAT ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 572459: WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED AND ON SPD AT APPROX 150 FT AGL. ENG PWR HAD BEEN AT IDLE BUT I BROUGHT IT IN TO CATCH THE APCH SPD. WE CROSSED THE RWY 27R THRESHOLD AT 50 FT AGL AND ON SPD. WE HEARD THE 50 FT AURAL CALL FROM THE GPWS. SPLIT SECONDS AFTER THAT; WE RECEIVED A YELLOW MASTER CAUTION ANNUNCIATION ACCOMPANIED BY 2 NEW MESSAGES ON THE EICAS. THE MESSAGES WERE 'FLAPS' AND 'SPD BRAKES EXTENSION.' I LOOKED FROM THE EICAS TO THE SPD BRAKE LEVER AND OBSERVED THE CAPT'S HAND ON THE LEVER. IT APPEARED AS IF THE LEVER WAS MOVING BACKWARDS (TOWARD THE EXTENDED POS) AND THEN HE QUICKLY SHOVED IT FORWARD; BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. WE DROPPED FROM THE SKY ONTO THE RWY. AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION REVEALED WE HAD DAMAGE ON THE AFT LOWER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.