Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 6th 2022, tail strike on landing
Last Update: July 16, 2024 / 18:25:34 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Aug 6, 2022
Classification
Accident
Cause
Tail strike on landing
Airline
Delta Airlines
Flight number
DL-1696
Departure
Fort Lauderdale, United States
Destination
Atlanta, United States
Aircraft Registration
N540US
Aircraft Type
Boeing 757-200
ICAO Type Designator
B752
Airport ICAO Code
KATL
A post flight maintenance inspection revealed damage to the bottom of the aft fuselage.
The occurrence aircraft returned to service on Sep 1st 2022.
On Mar 23rd 2023 the NTSB made the occurrence known releasing their preliminary report, stating that the aircraft received substantial damage and summarizing the sequence of events:
The first officer was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring. The flight was the first officer’s first operating experience (OE) flight and was his first attempt to land the airplane.
The flight had proceeded normally from takeoff through to the approach to land. Upon arrival, there were thunderstorms around the airport and the arrival route was changed from the SITTH2, arrival with a planned landing to the east, to the HOBTT2 arrival with a landing to the west.
As the flight proceeded FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) directed the flight crew to hold at SMAWG intersection due to a microburst alert for the airport, and all arrivals were stopped. After holding for about 30 minutes, the arrival was changed to the GNDLF2, landing to the east. The crew received vectors for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to runway 09R, and the airplane was configured and stabilized with landing flaps set at 25 degrees. Winds were reported as steady at less than 10 knots.
About 200 ft AGL the autopilot and auto throttles were disconnected. The airplane crossed the runway threshold about 100ft. AGL and landed near the end of the touchdown zone.
According to the captain, after main landing gear (MLG) touchdown the first officer “overrotated” and the airplane became airborne again. The captain then called a go-around due to the long landing and became the pilot flying. The flight subsequently landed otherwise uneventfully on runway 10.
The first officer said that on the approach the airplane became a little high and a little fast after he transitioned to visual references, about 100-150 ft. AGL. After touching down in the touchdown zone, he said the speed brakes deployed, and instead of gradually lowering the nose, he applied too much continuous aft pressure on the control yolk, which caused the airplane to become airborne again.
About 5 hours later, while on another flight in another airplane the flight crew was informed by maintenance of the tailstrike. There was damage to the skin from fuselage station (STA) 1700 to 1800, damage to two fittings and five shear ties, damage to the chord, and deformation of the pressure bulkhead at STA 1720.
On Jul 16th 2024 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:
The overpitch control of the airplane during landing resulting in a tail strike.
The NTSB analysed:
Delta Air Lines flight 1696 sustained a tailstrike while landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, GA. The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) to ATL. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and there were no injuries to the 203 passengers and crew onboard.
According to the flight crew, the captain was the pilot monitoring, and the first officer (FO) was the pilot flying. The captain reported that he was providing operational experience to the FO and that it was the FO’s first time landing the Boeing 757-200 model airplane. The airplane was in the landing configuration with flaps at 25 and on a stabilized approach at 1000 ft above ground level (AGL) on final approach to Runway 10 in night visual condition. After touchdown, the speed brakes deployed, and the FO reported that he applied too much aft pressure on the yoke causing the plane to lift back off the ground and the captain executed a “go-around” procedure. At this time the captain assumed the pilot flying role, and the airplane landed uneventfully.
Both the captain and FO reported they had no indications of a tailstrike on the flight deck, they did not receive any passenger or flight attendant reports of any abnormalities and were unaware a tailstrike had occurred until the plane was inspected by maintenance later.
Metars:
KATL 070352Z 15006KT 10SM -TSRA SCT043CB BKN075 BKN110 BKN250 22/21 A3027 RMK AO2 SLP242 OCNL LTGICCCCGCA OHD-S-NW TS OHD-S-NW MOV STNRY P0044 T02220206=
KATL 070338Z 17006KT 7SM -TSRA FEW006 SCT043CB BKN110 BKN250 22/21 A3028 RMK AO2 OCNL LTGICCCCGCA OHD-S-NW TS OHD-S-NW MOV STNRY P0044 T02220211=
KATL 070322Z 15006KT 2SM TSRA BR FEW006 BKN037CB OVC070 22/21 A3029 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT N AND SW OCNL LTGICCCCGCA OHD-ALQDS TS OHD-ALQDS MOV STNRY P0042 T02220206=
KATL 070252Z COR 09006KT 1 1/2SM R09R/5000VP6000FT +TSRA BR SCT009 BKN034CB OVC048 23/21 A3031 RMK AO2 PK WND 08026/0201 WSHFT 0223 SLP256 OCNL LTGICCG OHD-ALQDS TS OHD-ALQDS MOV STNRY P0070 60070 T02280211 52031=
KATL 070243Z 08007G19KT 1 1/4SM R09R/5000VP6000FT +TSRA BR SCT009 BKN034CB OVC048 23/21 A3031 RMK AO2 PK WND 08026/0201 WSHFT 0223 OCNL LTGICCG OHD AND ALQDS TS OHD AND ALQDS MOV STNRY P0040 T02280211=
KATL 070234Z 05016KT 1 1/2SM R09R/4000VP6000FT +TSRA BR SCT009 BKN039CB OVC046 23/21 A3031 RMK AO2 PK WND 08026/0201 OCNL LTGICCG OHD AND ALQDS TS OHD AND ALQDS MOV STNRY P0016 T02280211=
KATL 070219Z 12009KT 10SM -TSRA SCT009 BKN046CB BKN080 BKN250 23/21 A3029 RMK AO2 PK WND 08026/0201 LTG DSNT NE-S PRESRR FRQ LTGICCG OHD AND ALQDS TS OHD AND ALQDS MOV STNRY CB DSNT NE-S P0000 T02330211=
KATL 070152Z 09020G26KT 7SM -TSRA FEW015 BKN044CB BKN080 OVC250 24/21 A3026 RMK AO2 PK WND 09026/0152 LTG DSNT ALQDS RAB52 SLP237 FRQ LTGICCG OHD AND ALQDS TS OHD AND ALQDS MOV STNRY CB DSNT ALQDS P0000 T02440211=
KATL 070052Z 32003KT 10SM TS FEW045CB SCT065 SCT080 SCT170 BKN250 29/22 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP216 CONS LTGICCG N-NE AND E TS N-NE AND E MOV STNRY TCU DSNT SE-SW T02940217=
KATL 062352Z 30007KT 10SM TS FEW040CB FEW110 SCT200 SCT250 30/22 A3018 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NE SLP210 TSB38 OCNL LTGICCG VC N TS VC N MOV STNRY CB DSNT NE SE S NW T03000222 10328 20294 53005=
KATL 062343Z 28007KT 10SM TS FEW040CB FEW110 SCT200 SCT250 31/23 A3018 RMK AO2 TSB38 OCNL LTGICCG VC N TS VC N MOV STNRY T03060228=
KATL 062252Z 26003KT 10SM FEW045 FEW110 SCT250 32/21 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP199 CB DSNT NE TCU DSNT N E SE S T03220206=
KATL 062152Z 25004KT 10SM FEW046 FEW100 SCT250 32/20 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP201 CB DSNT NE NW TCU DSNT N E T03220200=
KATL 062052Z 19005KT 10SM SCT042 SCT250 32/21 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP204 CB DSNT W TCU DSNT N NW T03170206 56027=
KATL 061952Z 16007KT 10SM SCT034 SCT250 32/22 A3019 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT W SLP210 CB DSNT SW-W TCU DSNT N E T03170217=
Aircraft Registration Data
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Aug 6, 2022
Classification
Accident
Cause
Tail strike on landing
Airline
Delta Airlines
Flight number
DL-1696
Departure
Fort Lauderdale, United States
Destination
Atlanta, United States
Aircraft Registration
N540US
Aircraft Type
Boeing 757-200
ICAO Type Designator
B752
Airport ICAO Code
KATL
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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