An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation report into a hard landing by an Airvan 8 has concluded that the pilot's response to an increasing sink rate was not correct.
Airvan 8 VH-MQI was landing at Djamardi in Arnhem Land on 2 August this year when a hard landing occurred that caused the cargo pod to strike the ground, bouncing the aircraft back into the air. It landed a second time on the nose wheel before bouncing again. The pilot was able to stablise the aeroplane and land it. Neither the pilot nor any of the five passengers on the aircraft were injured.
"After turning onto the base leg, the pilot believed the aircraft was becoming high on the desired approach path and reduced power to return to the desired path," the ATSB report released today says, "After turning onto the final leg of the circuit, the pilot stabilised the aircraft at the selected approach speed of 65 kt with a rate of descent of about 500 feet per minute.
" ... as the aircraft approached the runway at a height of about 50 feet, the pilot observed the airspeed reduce to 62 kt and lowered the nose to accelerate the aircraft. The pilot did not recall increasing power."
According to the ATSB, the pilot's actions resulted in a rate of descent of 846 fpm, which the pilot tried to arrest by flaring "more positively than normal."
The report quotes from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook, which nominates an increase in power as the correct response to a slow speed on final.
ATSB investigators also observed that the pilot turned from downwind to base much earlier than the previous three approaches done in that aircraft, which would have led to the pilot reducing the power in the first place.
"This incident highlights the importance of maintaining the correct approach descent profile and speed," the ATSB says in its Safety Message, "and ensuring that pilots respond correctly to any deviations from the desired profile."
The full investigation report is on the ATSB website.