US investigators have determined that incorrect pitch attitude during a bounced landing preceded a tail-strike to a UPS Airbus A300-600 freighter at Louisville.
The aircraft had been arriving from Ontario, California, on 29 October last year.
With the captain flying, it followed the MBELL5 arrival pattern and conducted a stabilised ILS approach to Louisville’s runway 17R, initiating a flare at 20ft above ground before touching down at 131kt.
Although the touchdown “felt normal”, the aircraft bounced owing to “excessive energy”, says the National Transportation Safety Board, and subsequently made a “firm” landing.
As its shock-absorbers recovered from the landing, nose-up control column input was applied and the aircraft’s pitch increased, according to flight-data recorder information.
The twinjet’s spoilers and thrust-reversers had started deploying which “exacerbated” the nose-up attitude, says the inquiry, resulting in a pitch of 12° and causing the tail to strike the runway.
Activation of the thrust reversers prevented the crew from attempting a go-around during the occurrence.
After settling onto the runway the aircraft continued to roll out and vacated without further incident.
None of the three crew members, the only occupants, was injured but the jet – a 2005 airframe registered N162UP – suffered substantial abrasion damage along the aft fuselage underside.
“According to Airbus, after touchdown the flight crew should fly the nose-wheel smoothly, but without delay, on to the runway, and must be ready to counteract any pitch-up effect of the ground spoilers and reverse thrust,” the investigation states.
