Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 20 May 2007
Aircraft Type: Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100ER
Owner/operator: Air Canada Jazz
Registration Number: C-FRIL
Location: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ) – ÿ Canada
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 40
Component Affected: Landing Gear Trunnion FittingsLanding Gear Trunnion Fittings
Investigating Agency: TSBTSB
Category: Accident
A Canadian Air Shuttle CRJ-100ER passenger aircraft, C-FRIL, experienced a significant landing incident at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) due to a combination of factors leading to a catastrophic landing. The aircraft sustained damage during a 90-degree crosswind landing, resulting in a sharp lateral side load. The aircraft initially experienced a left-wing-down sideslip, triggering a left-main landing gear strike, followed by a bounce. The landing gear trunnion fittings failed, and the aircraft slid downwards the runway, ultimately exiting via the Delta 3 taxiway. The crew reported minor injuries, and the incident was initially attributed to a delayed decision-making process involving the first officer, who lacked sufficient supervision during the final approach. Insufficient quality control at the landing gear overhaul facility, particularly concerning shock struts, contributed to the landing’s severity. The aircraft?s bounce was exacerbated by the reduced thrust levers after the initial impact, triggering the GLD system which then accelerated the sink rate, exceeding certification standards for the landing gear.A Canadian Air Shuttle CRJ-100ER passenger aircraft, C-FRIL, experienced a significant landing incident at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) due to a combination of factors leading to a catastrophic landing. The aircraft sustained damage during a 90-degree crosswind landing, resulting in a sharp lateral side load. The aircraft initially experienced a left-wing-down sideslip, triggering a left-main landing gear strike, followed by a bounce. The landing gear trunnion fittings failed, and the aircraft slid downwards the runway, ultimately exiting via the Delta 3 taxiway. The crew reported minor injuries, and the incident was initially attributed to a delayed decision-making process involving the first officer, who lacked sufficient supervision during the final approach. Insufficient quality control at the landing gear overhaul facility, particularly concerning shock struts, contributed to the landing’s severity. The aircraft?s bounce was exacerbated by the reduced thrust levers after the initial impact, triggering the GLD system which then accelerated the sink rate, exceeding certification standards for the landing gear.

Description

A Canadair CRJ-100ER RegionalJet passenger plane, C-FRIL, operated by Air Canada Jazz, was substantially damaged when its landing gear collapsed after landing at Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ). There were no injuries to any crew or passengers. Flight 8911 departed Moncton (YQM) on a domestic flight to Toronto. The aircraft landed on runway 06Rwith a 90 degree crosswind from the left, gusting from 13 to 23 knots. The aircraft first contacted the runway in a left-wing-down sideslip. The left main landing gear struck the runway first and the aircraft sustained a sharp lateral side load before bouncing. Once airborne again, the flight and ground spoilers deployed and the aircraft landed hard. Both main landing gear trunnion fittings failed and the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft remained upright, supported by the landing gear struts and wheels. The aircraft slid down the runway and exited via the Delta 3 taxiway, where the passengers deplaned. There was no fire. There were no injuries to the crew; some passengers reported minor injuries as a result of the hard landing. FINDINGS AS TO CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1. On final approach, the captain diverted his attention from monitoring the flight, leaving most of the decision making and control of the aircraft to the first officer, who was significantly less experienced on the aircraft type. As a result, the first officer was not fully supervised during the late stages of the approach. 2. The first officer did not adhere to the Air Canada Jazz standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the handling of the autopilot and thrust levers on short final, which left the aircraft highly susceptible to a bounce, and without the bounce protection normally provided by the ground lift dump (GLD) system. 3. Neither the aircraft operating manual nor the training that both pilots had received mentioned the importance of conducting a balked or rejected landing when the aircraft bounces. Given the low-energy state of the aircraft at the time of the bounce, the first officer attempted to salvage the landing. 4. When the thrust levers were reduced to idle after the bounce, the GLD system activated. The resultant sink rate after the GLD system deployed was beyond the certification standard for the landing gear and resulted in the landing gear trunnion fitting failures. 5. There was insufficient quality control at the landing gear overhaul facility, which allowed non-airworthy equipment to enter into service. The condition of the shock struts would have contributed to the bounce.

Primary Cause

Inadequate pilot supervision and lack of adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the handling of the autopilot and thrust levers during the final approach, particularly in the late stages of the landing. This resulted in a suboptimal control response and a high susceptibility to the bounce.Inadequate pilot supervision and lack of adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the handling of the autopilot and thrust levers during the final approach, particularly in the late stages of the landing. This resulted in a suboptimal control response and a high susceptibility to the bounce.

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