Baltic BCS3 at Riga on Jun 21st 2018, runway excursion on landing

Last Update: October 24, 2019 / 14:40:44 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jun 21, 2018

Classification
Report

Cause
Runway excursion

Airline
Air Baltic

Flight number
BT-648

Departure
Geneva, Switzerland

Destination
Riga, Latvia

Aircraft Registration
YL-CSC

Aircraft Type
Airbus A220-300

ICAO Type Designator
BCS3

Airport
Riga International Airport, Riga

Airport ICAO Code
EVRA

An Air Baltic Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration YL-CSC performing flight BT-648 from Geneva (Switzerland) to Riga (Latvia) with 125 passengers and 5 crew, was on approach to Riga's runway 18 when the crew performed a missed approach about 6nm before the runway due to thunderstorm cells over the aerodrome depicted on their weather radar. The next aircraft continued to landing and reported it was just rain. The BCS3 climbed to 7000 feet, positioned for another approach to runway 18 but went around due to the winds changing to a 16 knots tail wind component. Another aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 18. The BCS3 positioned for a third approach to runway 18 and continued to a touch down about 43 minutes after the first missed approach. The aircraft veered to the left edge of the runway, the crew attempted to regain control and returned the aircraft onto the center line. Upon vacating the runway via taxiway B the crew received a low tyre pressure indication for the left nose tyre. The aircraft stopped on taxiway B, the crew requested a runway inspection advising they had nearly run off the runway to the left side. A marshaller reported he believed all tyres were okay, he could not see any deflated tyre. A technician subsequently inspected the aircraft and found the left nose wheel tyre had deflated. The runway inspection revealed one broken runway edge light. The crew shut the aircraft down, it was towed to the apron.

Latvia's Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau (TAIIB) released their final report concluding the probable cause of the serious incident was:

Root cause

Uncoordinated asymmetric flight control inputs by the crew during landing.

Direct cause

Force applied to the wheels of the main landing gear on the left which caused the aircraft deviation to the left with subsequent aircraft side skid.

Possible contributing causes

- Adverse weather conditions (Thunderstorm)
- Accumulated increasing level of stress during repeated approaches before last approach execution.

The TAAIB reported the captain (38, ATPL, 6,977 hours total, 929 hours on type) was pilot flying, the first officer (29, ATPL, 2,482 hours total, 918 hours on type) was pilot monitoring.

The TAAIB analysed:

FDR data confirmed asymmetric bral

Metars:
EVRA 212050Z VRB02KT 9999 -SHRA SCT049CB 13/12 Q0999 TEMPO 3000 -TSRA=
EVRA 212020Z 31006KT 250V360 9999 -SHRA SCT009 SCT029CB 13/12 Q1000 TEMPO 3000 -TSRA=
EVRA 211950Z 29014G27KT 260V340 8000 -SHRA SCT007 SCT014CB OVC023 14/13 Q1000 RETS RESHRA TEMPO 3000 -TSRA=
EVRA 211920Z 24013G23KT 180V320 8000 -TSRA SCT005 BKN021CB OVC042 18/16 Q0999 NOSIG=
EVRA 211850Z 17009KT 9999 VCTS SCT049CB 18/17 Q0997 TEMPO 1500 TSRA=
EVRA 211820Z 16008KT 9999 FEW049CB 18/17 Q0998 TEMPO 3000 -SHRA=
EVRA 211750Z 15009KT 120V180 9999 FEW045CB 19/17 Q0998 NOSIG=
EVRA 211720Z 14007KT 9999 FEW032CB 19/18 Q0999 RETS RESHRA NOSIG=
EVRA 211650Z 20011KT 170V230 4100 TSRA SCT033CB 19/17 Q1000 NOSIG=
EVRA 211620Z 16006KT 9999 -SHRA VCTS SCT049CB 19/17 Q1000 TEMPO 3000 -TSRA=
EVRA 211550Z 23005KT 200V270 9999 -SHRA SCT049CB 19/17 Q1000 RETS TEMPO 3000 -TSRA=
EVRA 211520Z 23009KT 190V260 8000 -TSRA SCT036CB 20/17 Q1001 RESHRA NOSIG=
EVRA 211450Z 17007KT 9999 -SHRA BKN049CB 22/17 Q1001 TEMPO 1500 TSRA=