Wizz UK A21N at Belgrade on Mar 11th 2022, hard landing

Last Update: March 13, 2022 / 18:40:32 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Wizz Air UK G-WUKO, Airbus A321-Neo — Wizz Air UK G-WUKO, Airbus A321-Neo (Photo credit: Alec BHX/KKC / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Mar 11, 2022

Classification
Accident

Cause
Hard landing

Airline
Wizz Air UK

Flight number
W9-4002

Departure
London Luton, United Kingdom

Destination
Belgrade, Serbia

Aircraft Registration
G-WUKO

Aircraft Type
Airbus A321-Neo

ICAO Type Designator
A21N

Airport
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Belgrad

Airport ICAO Code
LYBE

A Wizz Air UK Airbus A321-200N, registration G-WUKO performing flight W9-4002 from London Luton,EN (UK) to Belgrade (Serbia), was on final approach to Belgrade's runway 30 at 11:36L (10:36Z) when the pitch attitude and vertical speed changed significantly below 100 feet AGL resulting in a hard touchdown. The aircraft bounced, the crew performed a balked landing and climbed out for a go around. The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 30 and landed without further incident about 20 minutes later.

The aircraft is still on the ground in Belgrade 56 hours after landing.

A pilot on the ground observing the landing told The Aviation Herald that the approach looked normal until about 100-150 feet AGL, then the aircraft increased its pitch angle. Crossing over the runway threshold the aircraft rapidly pitched down into a nose down attitude, the sink rate increased to about 1100 fpm (according to ADS-B readout), at about 20 feet AGL a rapid and strong pitch up occurred. The aircraft touched down "violently", lifted off again with a possible tail strike (the pilot believes there was an actual tail strike but isn't entirely sure about it due to his position when observing the touchdown). The aircraft rejected landing and went around. The aircraft landed a couple of minutes later.

ADS-B data transmitted by the aircraft's transponder suggest the aircraft was descending through 150 feet AGL at about 750 fpm at 122 knots over ground, the vertical speed reduced to about 500 fpm at 50 feet AGL (averaged between 150 and 50 feet AGL readings), the aircraft touched down at about 122 knots over ground at above 1000 fpm sink rate.

Metars:
LYBE 111300Z 32010KT CAVOK 04/M09 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 111230Z 34008KT 290V010 CAVOK 03/M09 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 111200Z VRB06KT 9999 SCT045 03/M08 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 111130Z 32009KT 290V350 9999 FEW040 02/M08 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 111100Z 34007KT 280V040 9999 FEW040 02/M07 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 111030Z 32008KT 290V360 CAVOK 01/M07 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 111000Z 33008KT 300V010 CAVOK 01/M06 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 110930Z 33009KT CAVOK M00/M07 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 110900Z 31008KT 280V360 CAVOK M01/M07 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 110830Z 31008KT 290V350 CAVOK M02/M08 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 110800Z 31008KT CAVOK M03/M08 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 110730Z 32008KT CAVOK M03/M08 Q1031 NOSIG=
LYBE 110700Z 31010KT CAVOK M04/M09 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 110630Z 32010KT CAVOK M04/M09 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 110600Z 29006KT CAVOK M05/M09 Q1030 NOSIG=
LYBE 110530Z 29005KT CAVOK M06/M09 Q1030 NOSIG=