Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 15 January 1986
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-2A8 Advanced
Owner/operator: Indian Airlines
Registration Number: VT-EGD
Location: Tiruchirappalli-Civil Airport (TRZ) – ÿ India
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 128
Component Affected: Aircraft Control System (Specifically, the left wing contacting the runway surface due to excessive bank angle).Aircraft Control System (Specifically, the left wing contacting the runway surface due to excessive bank angle).
Category: Accident
An Indian Airlines flight IC529 experienced a near-miss landing due to pilot actions under challenging weather conditions. The pilot attempted a tight circling approach, but a critical misjudgment of the runway and a lack of proper situational awareness resulted in a sharp left turn that caused contact with the runway. The pilot?s actions, including a bank angle and a failed visual left hand circle, contributed to the incident. The aircraft?s subsequent deviation and subsequent landing were a direct consequence of this error.An Indian Airlines flight IC529 experienced a near-miss landing due to pilot actions under challenging weather conditions. The pilot attempted a tight circling approach, but a critical misjudgment of the runway and a lack of proper situational awareness resulted in a sharp left turn that caused contact with the runway. The pilot?s actions, including a bank angle and a failed visual left hand circle, contributed to the incident. The aircraft?s subsequent deviation and subsequent landing were a direct consequence of this error.

Description

Indian Airlines flight IC529 was a domestic flight from Madras to Tiruchirappalli, India. Weather conditions at the destination were below minima. The pilot descended below Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) and carried out a tight circling approach, remaining close to the runway. During a tight left turn for finals to runway 27 the pilot was not able to align the aircraft with the runway. A go around was executed during which the left wing contacted the runway surface due to an excessive bank angle close to the ground. The flight diverted back to Madras were the aircraft landed without incident. The commander of the flight in question reported the following to the Aviation Safety Network: “This aircraft VT-EGD had a history of snags where pilots reported asymmetric spool up and spool down of engines (right engine slow as much as 5 seconds more than left engine). I myself have snagged this twice for this aircraft. On that day I was given to understand that this snag was cleared. The Wx reported was exactly the minima for runway 27. After the instrument approach, we sighted the runway late and requested a visual left hand circle to land approach and flared aircraft with throttles at idle to touch down at 1000 foot marker when the aircraft floated & would not sink, at which time I noticed that the number 2 engine was still at about 50% N1 and aircraft yawed left with control tower straight ahead (from thresh-hold runway 27 the control tower bears 30 degrees left). I initiated a wave-off with a 5 degree bank to head away from control tower, when the bank increased to about 7 degrees as number 1 engine was at 100% but number 2 engine was at 60% when we heard what we thought was the right main gear rolling on the runway for a split second. We presumed there was a gust from the right (the anemometer was unserviceable and the extended approach centre line lights were not turned ON) and reported left hand circle to land down wind again. As we were turning left base, ATC asked us to check our right wing tip. My co-pilot looked out of the side window and turned pale and was speechless. The turn left base was converted to set course to MMV and hand flew straight-in ILS for runway 07 with controls going to manual reversion due hydraulic leak at the star-board aileron PCU jack. Managed to steer aircraft OFF runway on C taxiway in front of old control tower. I had requested my Regional Director Capt. J F Ranji to have the asymmetric spool up of the engines but overnight the engines were removed. ” PROBABLE CAUSE: “The pilot attempted landing under weather conditions below minima and flew the aircraft dangerously disregarding the laid down procedures. Failure on the part of the co-pilot to bring deviations from the laid down procedures to the notice of the commander was a contributory factor.”

Primary Cause

Pilot error and inadequate situational awareness under adverse weather conditions, specifically a misjudgment of the runway and a failure to properly execute a visual left hand circle.Pilot error and inadequate situational awareness under adverse weather conditions, specifically a misjudgment of the runway and a failure to properly execute a visual left hand circle.

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