Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 11 February 2023
Aircraft Type: Learjet 55
Owner/operator: 1982-047 LLC
Registration Number: N600C
Location: Rochester-Greater Rochester International Airport, NY (ROC/KROC) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Component Affected: Left WingLeft Wing
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A Learjet 55, N600C, suffered a hard landing at Rochester-Greater Rochester International Airport, NY (ROC) due to an unsuccessful landing flare and touchdown. Neither pilot reported any mechanical issues prior to the flight. The aircraft landed firm but with a significant left wing low, prompting immediate investigation. Surveillance video revealed the plane bounced and touched down again, with skid marks indicating a displaced threshold. Examination of the runway showed damaged skid marks and tire markings, and the left wing sustained substantial damage. A passenger reported hearing altitude calls and a crewmember announcing ‘too fast, too fast’ during the approach. The aircraft’s landing caused oxygen mask deployment and compartment opening. The landing was bumpy and the airplane bounced, and fuel leaked during deployment.A Learjet 55, N600C, suffered a hard landing at Rochester-Greater Rochester International Airport, NY (ROC) due to an unsuccessful landing flare and touchdown. Neither pilot reported any mechanical issues prior to the flight. The aircraft landed firm but with a significant left wing low, prompting immediate investigation. Surveillance video revealed the plane bounced and touched down again, with skid marks indicating a displaced threshold. Examination of the runway showed damaged skid marks and tire markings, and the left wing sustained substantial damage. A passenger reported hearing altitude calls and a crewmember announcing ‘too fast, too fast’ during the approach. The aircraft’s landing caused oxygen mask deployment and compartment opening. The landing was bumpy and the airplane bounced, and fuel leaked during deployment.

Description

The Learjet 55, N600C, was substantially damaged when it made a hard landing at Rochester-Greater Rochester International Airport, NY (ROC). Neither pilot reported identifying any mechanical issues with the airplane before the flight. The flight was uneventful and both pilots described the landing as being firm, with the copilot stating the landing was in the touchdown zone on the runway. The pilot reported that after landing he knew something was wrong because the left wing was low. The pilots taxied the airplane to the ramp where they discovered fuel leaking from the left wing. A review of airport surveillance video revealed that the airplane touched down around the displaced threshold, bounced, and touched down again. Examination of the runway revealed skid marks beginning in the displaced threshold about 110 ft before the landing surface of the runway. Fractured airplane parts were scattered over and beyond the ground scars and tire markings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed it sustained structural and skin damage to the left wing, the landing gear strut, and both left main wheels. One passenger said that she heard altitudes called out during the landing approach, and just before touchdown, she heard a crewmember announce, ?too fast, too fast!’ She stated the airplane contacted the runway so hard the oxygen masks deployed and compartments inside the airplane opened. The airplane bounced, and the second landing was bumpy. She also stated that fuel was leaking from the airplane when they were deplaned. Although the pilots’ subsequent statements indicated that they observed that the airplane’s left wing was ?lower’ during takeoff on the accident flight, surveillance video of the airplane from the departure airport did not indicate any anomalies. Given the available evidence, it is likely that the pilots failed to attain a proper landing flare and touchdown point, which resulted in a hard landing short of the runway. Probable Cause: The pilots’ failure to attain a proper landing flare and touchdown point, which resulted in a hard landing short of the runway.

Primary Cause

Failure to attain a proper landing flare and touchdown point, resulting in a hard landing short of the runway.Failure to attain a proper landing flare and touchdown point, resulting in a hard landing short of the runway.

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