Narrative:
Air Canada Express flight 8481 departed from Calgary International Airport at 19:47 on a scheduled flight to Grande Prairie Airport.
During takeoff, as the DHC-8-402 aircraft approached rotation speed (Vr), there was a noticeable vibration that ended once the aircraft was airborne. Once the landing gear was retracted and the aircraft was established in the climb, the flight crew discussed the vibration. The cabin crew informed the pilots that a tire had blown.
Company maintenance and operations crews at its dispatch centre were contacted. Because of strong crosswinds, returning to Calgary was not an option, and a decision was made to land at Edmonton International Airport and to switch aircraft owing to the ruptured tire. Maintenance personnel recommended that a hard landing be avoided.
Air traffic control arranged for the aircraft to level at 13000 feet above sea level. The cabin crew confirmed that the number 3 tire had blown and revealed that something had struck the aft fuselage.
Throughout the approach phase of the landing sequence, the landing gear control panel indicated that the landing gear was down and locked. The aircraft touched down very lightly on runway 02 at Edmonton. As the wheels spun up, a pronounced vibration shook the aircraft 2.4 seconds after initial touchdown; while the nose wheel of the aircraft was still airborne, the right main landing gear collapsed. The right-side propeller blades struck the runway, and all were sheared on contact. One large section of a propeller blade penetrated the aircraft cabin next to passenger row 7. At the same time as the propeller contact, the nose landing gear came down hard and its tires ruptured. The aircraft slid slightly to the right and came to a stop off the right edge of the runway, approximately 3200 feet past the touchdown point.
Findings as to causes and contributing factors:
1. The number 3 tire ruptured on takeoff, most likely as a result of impact with a hard object.
2. During landing, the failed number 3 tire was spun by contact with the ground and was maintained at a rotational speed that was the same as or very close to one of the natural frequencies of the main landing gear. This caused the lock links to trigger the proximity sensor electronic unit to de-energize the solenoid sequence valve, thereby relieving system pressure from the extend port of the unlock actuator.
3. The excessive vibration caused the lock links to overcome the force from the downlock springs and unlock the stabilizer brace as a result of gear dynamics, which led to collapse of the right main landing gear.
Landing gear collapse
Runway mishap
CYEG 070313Z 29004KT 270V340 15SM FEW010 BKN058 OVC110 05/03 A2961 RMK SF1SC5AS3 SF TR SLP049
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Thursday 6 November 2014 |
| Time: | 21:30 |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 |
| Operated by: | Jazz Aviation |
| On behalf of: | Air Canada Express |
| Registration: | C-GGBF |
| MSN: | 4433 |
| First flight: | 2013 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 71 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 75 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Edmonton International Airport, AB (YEG) ( Canada)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Calgary International Airport, AB (YYC/CYYC), Canada |
| Grande Prairie Airport, AB (YQU/CYQU), Canada | |
| Flightnumber: | AC8481 |
Air Canada Express flight 8481 departed from Calgary International Airport at 19:47 on a scheduled flight to Grande Prairie Airport.
During takeoff, as the DHC-8-402 aircraft approached rotation speed (Vr), there was a noticeable vibration that ended once the aircraft was airborne. Once the landing gear was retracted and the aircraft was established in the climb, the flight crew discussed the vibration. The cabin crew informed the pilots that a tire had blown.
Company maintenance and operations crews at its dispatch centre were contacted. Because of strong crosswinds, returning to Calgary was not an option, and a decision was made to land at Edmonton International Airport and to switch aircraft owing to the ruptured tire. Maintenance personnel recommended that a hard landing be avoided.
Air traffic control arranged for the aircraft to level at 13000 feet above sea level. The cabin crew confirmed that the number 3 tire had blown and revealed that something had struck the aft fuselage.
Throughout the approach phase of the landing sequence, the landing gear control panel indicated that the landing gear was down and locked. The aircraft touched down very lightly on runway 02 at Edmonton. As the wheels spun up, a pronounced vibration shook the aircraft 2.4 seconds after initial touchdown; while the nose wheel of the aircraft was still airborne, the right main landing gear collapsed. The right-side propeller blades struck the runway, and all were sheared on contact. One large section of a propeller blade penetrated the aircraft cabin next to passenger row 7. At the same time as the propeller contact, the nose landing gear came down hard and its tires ruptured. The aircraft slid slightly to the right and came to a stop off the right edge of the runway, approximately 3200 feet past the touchdown point.
Probable Cause:
Findings as to causes and contributing factors:
1. The number 3 tire ruptured on takeoff, most likely as a result of impact with a hard object.
2. During landing, the failed number 3 tire was spun by contact with the ground and was maintained at a rotational speed that was the same as or very close to one of the natural frequencies of the main landing gear. This caused the lock links to trigger the proximity sensor electronic unit to de-energize the solenoid sequence valve, thereby relieving system pressure from the extend port of the unlock actuator.
3. The excessive vibration caused the lock links to overcome the force from the downlock springs and unlock the stabilizer brace as a result of gear dynamics, which led to collapse of the right main landing gear.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Tire failureLanding gear collapse
Runway mishap
METAR Weather report:
03:13 UTC / 20:13 local time:CYEG 070313Z 29004KT 270V340 15SM FEW010 BKN058 OVC110 05/03 A2961 RMK SF1SC5AS3 SF TR SLP049
Photos
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
accident date: 06-11-2014
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
registration: C-GGBF
Video, social media
#yeg #eia. Pic of plane crash an edmonton international airport. pic.twitter.com/OhIeFf8rau
— David Heath (@DaveHeath83) November 7, 2014Dramatic emergency landing at Edmonton airport caught on camera http://t.co/llg6fB7c9s pic.twitter.com/e1byUV5gBa
— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) November 7, 2014Photo shows the propeller of flight forced to land in #yeg crashed through window: http://t.co/pGPb2wzGfr pic.twitter.com/8Hf0HFn9T5
— CTV Edmonton (@ctvedmonton) November 9, 2014Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Calgary International Airport, AB to Grande Prairie Airport, AB as the crow flies is 552 km (345 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Calgary International Airport, AB to Grande Prairie Airport, AB as the crow flies is 552 km (345 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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