Latvian investigators believe differential braking during a touchdown in gusting winds resulted in an Airbus A220-300 experiencing a runway excursion and a burst tyre at Riga.
The Air Baltic aircraft's left-hand main landing-gear travelled off the runway edge onto rough ground during the roll-out, after the twinjet arrived from Geneva on 21 June last year.
It had been attempting a third approach to runway 18 after twice executing a go-around – initially because of an indicated storm cell on the flightpath and then because of excessive tailwinds, says Latvian investigation authority TAIIB.
The crew experienced difficulties in maintaining the centerline as a result of the gusting conditions.
When the aircraft touched down, at 160kt and with an impact of 1.71g, all three landing-gear sets made runway contact almost simultaneously.
Flight-data recorder information indicated that around twice the braking pressure was applied to the left-hand main gear than the right.
This differential braking resulted in the aircraft's deviating to the left and generating a "side skid", says the inquiry, sufficient to cause the left-hand nose-gear tyre to deflate.
Investigators found that a left-hand main-gear tyre travelled off the runway for over 120m, and that the aircraft "clipped" runway edge lights.
None of the 125 passengers and five crew members was injured. Both pilots had logged similar flight time, around 920h, on the type – formerly known as the Bombardier CS300.
