A Nordwind Airlines Airbus A321 has been significantly damaged in a landing incident, this resulted in the nose landing gear penetrating the cabin floor and creasing the fuselage.
The aircraft, registered VQ-BRS, was built in 2017 and was performing flight N41801 from Moscow to Turkey’s Antalya International Airport on the 10th of January, there were no passengers on board when the landing incident occurred.
Performing a landing at +2.65G, above limits, the pilots initiated a go around but noticed navigation and attitude indication problems; along with minor smoke in the flight deck, prompting the use of oxygen masks.
The Aviation Herald reports that the crew declared a MAYDAY and performed a low approach over runway 36C, so ground crews could inspect the undercarriage for damage. Whilst climbing out of the low approach, the pilots received notification that both main hydraulic systems had failed.
A visual approach was performed shortly after a second MAYDAY was declared and the aircraft landed safely on runway 36C, without the ability to vacate from its stopped position.
Airport Haber, who was the first to report this incident, has photos from the initial inspection of the aircraft; these show significant cabin floor penetration and structural damage around the nose.
Bu sabah Moskova’dan Antalya’ya inen Rus havayolu Nordwind’e ait Airbus A321-200 tipi VQ-BRS kuyruk tescilli yolcu uçağı büyük tehlike atlattı. Uçağın inişte duman uyarısı yaptığı ve acil iniş istediği öğrenildi.
— AirportHaber (@AirportHaber) January 10, 2020
Haberin ayrıntıları için 👇https://t.co/Apdenv843i pic.twitter.com/quHtALD37k
Nordwind Airlines released a statement on their website addressing the incident:
“The heavy touchdown in the Antalya airport occurred on January 10, 2020 when performing the flight without passengers from Moscow to Antalya when going around due to a windshear, with the subsequent go-around and safe landing. Damages of nose landing gear elements were found after landing.”
Nordwind Airlines via The Russian News Agency
METAR data as follows:
- LTAI 100520Z 01014KT CAVOK 07/M06 Q1019 NOSIG=
- LTAI 100450Z 02016G26KT CAVOK 07/M06 Q1019 NOSIG=
- LTAI 100420Z 01014KT CAVOK 07/M06 Q1019 NOSIG=
Whether the IAE V2500 engine-powered jet will be repaired, or not, depends on how significant the damage is within the aircraft structure. Being a three year old aircraft the loss would be unfortunate, however the final decision will likely come from the insurance company.
Windshear?… at minus 6 degrees, CAVOK & NOSIG ???
Really?
I think the Nordair report is ‘saving face’ when the pilots have some explaining to do.
The Aviation Herald article cited states that the touchdown was “about +2.65G, above limits” I think the comma implies that the touchdown was actually at +2.65G, *which is* above limits. Not that the force was 2.65G higher than the limit, which would come out to much higher.