Blue B738 at Naples on May 6th 2022, severe hard landing and tail strike

Last Update: April 12, 2024 / 17:59:02 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Blue Air YR-BMM, Boeing 737-800 — Blue Air YR-BMM, Boeing 737-800 (Photo credit: John Gaughran / Flickr / License: Public Domain)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 6, 2022

Classification
Accident

Airline
Blue Air

Flight number
0B-143

Departure
Bucharest Otopeni, Romania

Destination
Naples, Italy

Aircraft Registration
YR-BMM

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-800

ICAO Type Designator
B738

Airport
Nápoli / Capodichino International Airport, Nápoli

Airport ICAO Code
LIRN

A Blue Air Boeing 737-800, registration YR-BMM performing flight 0B-143 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Naples (Italy), landed on Naples' runway 24 at 16:03L (14:03Z) but touched down hard. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron.

The aircraft is still on the ground in Naples 6 days later (May 12th 2022).

Italy's ANSV reported they rated the occurrence an accident, the aircraft sustained substantial structural damage to the rear on the hard landing. An investigation has been opened, the flight data recorders have been acquired.

On May 18th 2022 The Aviation Herald received information, that the aircraft touched down at 120 KIAS (Vref 137 KIAS), 1200 fpm sinkrate and about 8.9 degrees nose up attitude experiencing +3.83G vertical acceleration also resulting in a tail strike, just at touch down a GPWS wind shear warning activated (but is assumed to have been erroneous due to the severe hard touch down. While the flight crew was aware of the hard landing, the tail strike was only discovered at the gate. Preliminary investigation results suggest, that the aircraft - after the autopilot was disconnected at 1500 feet AGL - descended below the glide path starting below 200 feet AGL, a GPWS glideslope warning occurred, the vertical path was corrected however without adding thrust causing a low energy state of the aircraft.

On Apr 12th 2024 Italy's ANSV released their final report in Italian only (editorial note: to serve the purpose of global prevention of the repeat of causes leading to an occurrence an additional timely release of all occurrence reports in the only world spanning aviation language English would be necessary, an Italian only release does not achieve this purpose as set by ICAO annex 13 and just forces many aviators to waste much more time and effort each in trying to understand the circumstances leading to the occurrence. Aviators operating internationally are required to read/speak English besides their local language, investigators need to be able to read/write/speak English to communicate with their counterparts all around the globe.)

The report concludes the probable causes of the accident were:

The accident occurred because of the commander's late and uncoordinated action in response to inadequate management of the final phase of the landing by the PF first officer. This made it possible for the first officer to initiate a flare early in such a way that the aircraft lost translational energy causing excessive vertical speed, thus creating the pre-conditions for the heavy landing. Subsequently in the commander's attempt to avoid it a pronounced high pitch attitude of the aircraft induced the tail strike.

The following likely contributed to the occurrence of the event:

- the ineffectiveness of the operator's Safety Management in disseminating published information and recommendations following two previous similar occurrences;

- the sudden change in wind direction that occurred just moments before the ground contact.

Metars:
LIRN 061650Z 27006KT 9999 SCT050 BKN080 20/10 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061620Z VRB01KT 9999 FEW050 BKN080 21/11 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061550Z VRB04KT 9999 FEW050 BKN080 21/13 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061520Z 08009KT 9999 FEW040 BKN080 21/12 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061450Z 24004KT 190V280 9999 SCT040 BKN080 22/08 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061420Z 24007KT 210V270 9999 SCT040 BKN080 22/08 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061350Z 23008KT 9999 SCT040 BKN080 22/09 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061320Z 24008KT 200V270 9999 SCT040 BKN080 23/10 Q1011 NOSIG=
LIRN 061250Z 22007KT 110V270 9999 FEW040 BKN070 23/10 Q1012 NOSIG=
LIRN 061220Z VRB04KT 9999 FEW040 BKN070 23/10 Q1012 NOSIG=
LIRN 061150Z 05006KT 320V100 9999 FEW040 BKN070 22/12 Q1012 NOSIG=
LIRN 061120Z VRB02KT 9999 FEW040 BKN070 22/13 Q1012 NOSIG=
LIRN 061050Z 28003KT 210V330 9999 FEW040 BKN070 21/13 Q1012 NOSIG=
LIRN 061020Z VRB02KT 9999 FEW040 BKN070 21/13 Q1012 NOSIG=