Late reduction of thrust and an out-of-limits tailwind caused a Volga-Dnepr Ilyushin Il-76 to overrun as it touched down long at St John’s in Canada.
Investigators found that the pilot increased thrust 3s after crossing the threshold of runway 11, and did not retard the throttles to idle for another 5s.
The aircraft touched down 3,570ft beyond the threshold, bounced, then made contact again at 4,220ft – about halfway along the 8,500ft runway.
Although reverse thrust was engaged on the two outboard engines, and the spoilers were deployed, the aircraft did not decelerate quickly enough. The crew belatedly applied reverse thrust on the inboard engines, about 1,000ft from the runway end, but the heavy transport overran by 640ft.
The Transportation Safety Board’s inquiry into the 13 August 2012 event discovered that the aircraft had been subject to a 13kt tailwind, above the certified limit of about 10kt for the type.
Information from the control tower indicated a 3kt tailwind, although additional data about the tailwind was available to the crew through a multi-function cockpit display.
The true 13kt figure, derived from flight-data recorder information, would have required a landing distance of nearly 5,200ft.
Examination of the freighter’s undercarriage showed “excessive” wear, the inquiry adds, with all 16 main-gear tyres worn by 80% or more – leading to increased risk of hydroplaning on the wet runway surface.
The investigation also revealed that the hydraulic lines to the brakes had been installed incorrectly, and that, during anti-skid operations, the set-up would have released pressure to wheels with effective braking.
None of the 10 crew members on board the Il-76 was injured and the aircraft (RA-76511) received only superficial damage.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
