Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 jet touched down at 50% higher speed than landing gear could handle
The Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 regional jet, registration N932XJ, was descending at a rate 50% higher than the aircraft’s landing gear could handle when it landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on February 17.
The aircraft carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, which had taken off from Minneapolis-St Paul, USA, on Endeavour Air flight EDV4819, had a bizarre accident in which it ended upside down off the runway. All occupants survived.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its preliminary report on the accident on Thursday, revealing that the right main landing gear collapsed after a strong impact with the runway.
The right wing then touched the ground and fractured at the fuselage connection, breaking away. The aircraft then rotated on its longitudinal axis, losing its tail and coming to a stop about 1,800 feet from touchdown.
According to the TSB, the crew received a safety alert indicating a very rapid descent 3 seconds before landing. The aircraft encountered wind gusts at about 153 feet, which caused the first officer to reduce engine power.
https://twitter.com/airwayaviation/status/1891855822939902424
Four seconds before touchdown, a new gust caused the CRJ-900 to sink further, but the crew did not take any action such as accelerating the engines. A video taken by a pilot aboard a plane waiting to take off showed the moment of impact and the spin of the Delta plane.
The TSB said the final report may contain different information than what has been revealed so far.
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