What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 3, 2018, at approximately 2335Z, N575Q encountered a tailstrike during landing. This was classified as an accident due to structural damage to the aft portion of the fuselage.
Analysis of the weather indicated the prior 3 observations were steady wind at 22-24KTS, direct x-wind, below the aircraft's max demonstrated x-wind component. These observations were spaced 5 minutes apart. At the time of the accident, the wind gusted to 38KTS of x-wind. Although the previous 4 weather reports indicated steady wind, the pattern of occasional gusts exceeding 35KTS could be seen when looking at all of the observations from the surface observation station on that day.
There was an AIRMET in effect for strong sustained surface winds in excess of 30KTS, intensifying during the period. The body of the area forecast indicated surface wind e-se 30G40KTS sw of the bering strait. Using runway 16, this would put the x-wind component at 31KTS.
The conclusion of these data is that the flight crew lost control of the aircraft during landing due to an x-wind gust and there was a failure of the operational control center (dispatch) and flight crew to anticipate these conditions based on the weather data available and historical data of mechanical turbulence and gusts in this location.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 3, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 2335Z, N575Q ENCOUNTERED A TAILSTRIKE DURING LANDING. THIS WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT DUE TO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AFT PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE.
ANALYSIS OF THE WEATHER INDICATED THE PRIOR 3 OBSERVATIONS WERE STEADY WIND AT 22-24KTS, DIRECT X-WIND, BELOW THE AIRCRAFT'S MAX DEMONSTRATED X-WIND COMPONENT. THESE OBSERVATIONS WERE SPACED 5 MINUTES APART. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND GUSTED TO 38KTS OF X-WIND. ALTHOUGH THE PREVIOUS 4 WEATHER REPORTS INDICATED STEADY WIND, THE PATTERN OF OCCASIONAL GUSTS EXCEEDING 35KTS COULD BE SEEN WHEN LOOKING AT ALL OF THE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SURFACE OBSERVATION STATION ON THAT DAY.
THERE WAS AN AIRMET IN EFFECT FOR STRONG SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30KTS, INTENSIFYING DURING THE PERIOD. THE BODY OF THE AREA FORECAST INDICATED SURFACE WIND E-SE 30G40KTS SW OF THE BERING STRAIT. USING RUNWAY 16, THIS WOULD PUT THE X-WIND COMPONENT AT 31KTS.
THE CONCLUSION OF THESE DATA IS THAT THE FLIGHT CREW LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING DUE TO AN X-WIND GUST AND THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE OPERATIONAL CONTROL CENTER (DISPATCH) AND FLIGHT CREW TO ANTICIPATE THESE CONDITIONS BASED ON THE WEATHER DATA AVAILABLE AND HISTORICAL DATA OF MECHANICAL TURBULENCE AND GUSTS IN THIS LOCATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.