Incident Overview

Date: Friday 15 November 2013
Aircraft Type: Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (ERJ-190AR)
Owner/operator: Austral Lineas A‚reas
Registration Number: LV-CKZ
Location: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport, BA (EZE) – ÿ Argentina
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 101
Component Affected: ATC, Ezeiza Flight Control Tower, Aircraft Approach Procedure, Runway OperationATC, Ezeiza Flight Control Tower, Aircraft Approach Procedure, Runway Operation
Investigating Agency: JIAACJIAAC
Category: Accident
On Austral Airlines flight 2255, a runway excursion occurred at Buenos Aires/Ezeiza International Airport, Argentina, resulting from a sudden and unexpected change in weather conditions. The aircraft impacted with the ILS system antenna installations due to a significant shift in operating weather, leading to the crew’s lack of awareness of the change. This was compounded by ATC failure to provide updated weather information, the absence of an alarm system in the Ezeiza flight control tower, and inadequate monitoring procedures. The aircraft’s configuration was not fully compliant with operator SOPs, particularly concerning the approach procedure and runway operation, resulting in a prolonged touchdown and adverse conditions.On Austral Airlines flight 2255, a runway excursion occurred at Buenos Aires/Ezeiza International Airport, Argentina, resulting from a sudden and unexpected change in weather conditions. The aircraft impacted with the ILS system antenna installations due to a significant shift in operating weather, leading to the crew’s lack of awareness of the change. This was compounded by ATC failure to provide updated weather information, the absence of an alarm system in the Ezeiza flight control tower, and inadequate monitoring procedures. The aircraft’s configuration was not fully compliant with operator SOPs, particularly concerning the approach procedure and runway operation, resulting in a prolonged touchdown and adverse conditions.

Description

Austral Airlines flight 2255 suffered a runway excursion upon landing at Buenos Aires/Ezeiza International Airport, BA (EZE/SAEZ), Argentina. Conclusions of the analysis (translated from original Spanish language report): On an international scheduled commercial air transport flight, during the landing phase, the runway excursion took place at the opposite end of the runway, the aircraft impacting with the ILS system antenna installations. This was, as a triggering factor, due to a significant change in operating weather conditions within a very short period of time, at one of the most critical moments in the operation of an aircraft, and without the crew receiving any information from the ATC about the change or becoming aware of it. The combination of the following factors contributed to the track excursion. – Tailwind component of 27 kt, greater than the limitation prescribed by the manufacturer (15 kt on dry runway); rain with reduced visibility, and runway contaminated with water. – The ATC did not update the weather information to the crew, who were unaware of the sudden and significant change in conditions. – The Ezeiza flight control tower does not have an alarm system in the event of a sudden change in surface wind conditions. – Destabilized approach from the disconnection of the AP and the transition to visual flight. – Monitoring and call outs by the PM in the event of FP deviations that did not comply with the operator’s SOPs. – Failure to consider the approach procedure to be aborted in the event of a non-stabilised approach situation after acquiring visual flight conditions and disconnecting the AP. – Long touch down and wet runway and tailwind conditions, with no possibility of stopping the plane in remaining runway distance. – The aircraft was correctly configured for uncontaminated runway operation. This configuration did not fully correspond to the operator’s SOP recommendations for the runway conditions encountered at the time of landing.

Primary Cause

ATC failure to provide timely and accurate weather information and lack of an alarm system.ATC failure to provide timely and accurate weather information and lack of an alarm system.

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