Incident Overview
Description
Weather at Libreville Airport was poor with rainshowers around the airport. According to passenger statements Flight 471 circled the airport for about 30 minutes before trying to land. The Boeing 737 touched down on runway 16, a 3000 m (9843 ft) asphalt runway. From the data, it appears that, after touchdown, the left engine throttle lever was advanced in the forward thrust direction, while the right engine reverser was deployed and subsequently deactivated. The forward thrust from the left engine overpowered the brakes, resulting in the airplane exiting the departure end of the runway at a speed over 100 kts. The 737 crashed through the airport boundary fence before coming to rest a few 100 m past the end of the runway. The airplane was reportedly damaged beyond repair. There is no indication on the CVR that the crew was initiating a go-around.
Primary Cause
Severe weather conditions, including heavy rainshowers, caused the aircraft to deviate from its intended flight path and experience excessive forward thrust.Severe weather conditions, including heavy rainshowers, caused the aircraft to deviate from its intended flight path and experience excessive forward thrust.Share on:
