3rd of March 2024, Nearly 4g, Blog # 744
- V2Aviation
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
On May 3, 2024, a JSX Embraer EMB-145LR was operating a (charter) flight from Dallas Love Field to Houston Hobby International Airport (HOU), Houston (Both in the state of Texas, USA). On board the aircraft an crew of three and 21 passengers.
For the majority of the final approach, the aircraft was stabilized. The crew reported an uneventful flight until the very last moments. As they crossed the runway threshold pf runwa 4, the environment became challenging, with surface winds at 130/16 gusting up to 24 knots.
In those final seconds, the flight crew sensed something was wrong. The captain initiated a go-around, a standard safety maneuver intended to abort the landing and climb away for another attempt. Flight data confirmed the throttles were advanced to commanded thrust, but the aircraft settled onto the runway shortly thereafter.
The impact was severe. Sensors recorded a vertical load factor of 3.9g—a "hard landing" by any definition. This impact caused the left main landing gear to collapse, eventually puncturing the upper skin of the wing.
As the aircraft slid down the runway, the left wing sustained significant structural damage, including fractures to the wing spar and damage from impacting runway lights. The aircraft came to a stop on the left side of the runway about 567 ft from the end. Emergency personnel responded to the accident and assisted the passengers as they deplaned through the main cabin door (L1). The first officer was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries, there were no other injuries.
Visual inspection of the LMLG showed structural damage and deformation, in addition to hydraulic fluid leakage. The left wing spar III, a principal structural element, was bent and fractured through at 2 locations and partially fractured at 3 additional locations. While there was damage to some of the left wing’s structural components, the fuel tank was not compromised during the event. Most of the structural damage to the inboard section of the wing was consistent with a strong upward force from the LMLG. Damage to the outboard section of the wing was consistent with the wing scraping the runway surface and impacting runway lights.
The NTSB investigation is still in progres at time of writing of this blog, amonh others the following NTSB specialists were assigned to investigate the accident: Airworthiness, Operations, Human Performance, Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), and Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The NTSB Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report, which served as source for this blog, can be accessed by clicking on the .pdf file below;
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