What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 8, 2020, swift air (I5EA), the operator of aircraft N313XA, reported that the aircraft, a Boeing 737-400 operating as flight SWQ818 between eugene airport, Oregon (keug) and Wendover Airport, Utah (kenv) experienced a hard landing at kenv. The aircraft departed keug @ 01:28 pm PST and arrived kenv @ 03:36 pm MST. Swift air reported there were crosswinds at the time of landing on runway 26. The winds were reported 330 at 13 and gusting to 27 mph.
The aircraft apparently sustained damage to the right gear and wing structure. The operator also reported some panels broke off. The landing reportedly caused passenger service units (psu) to drop oxygen masks. The extent of the actual damage is not fully known as the operator has not provided any record of results of a hard landing inspection, only incomplete records of related maintenance and repairs.
The flight recorders were secured and the crew drug and alcohol testing was scheduled by the air carrier. The aircraft did not block the runway. Wendover is uncontrolled. There were no reported injuries. The captain recorded the hard landing but not any damage to the aircraft in the maintenance records (N313XA maintenance discrepancy log page 42219).
Available records indicate that between 2/9/2020 and 2/11/2020 the operator performed maintenance on the aircraft at the incident site kenv. Maintenance records indicate that the right main landing gear uplock, mainwheel and tire assemblies, damper, side strut, gear door and outboard flap fairing were replaced. On 2/11/2020 the operator apparently issued a special flight permit for the incident aircraft under operations specification continuing authorization to reposition the aircraft from kenv to kmia precluding FAA on scene investigation.
The operators (sms) investigation report received 2/20/2020 states the probable cause of the hard landing incident as ??captain?s decision to continue the approach and landing outside the required stabilized approach criteria.? The operator interviewed both pilots. Interview notes make no mention of stabilized approach criteria or initiation of a go around but focuses on the crosswind (downwind ) calculations of the pilot. The captain stated that because they were ?VFR? The use of other runways was not considered. Crew pairing and SIC pilot low time in type was not considered in the report. With the aircraft arriving at kenv closer to the 22:56Z METAR as opposed to the 21:56Z METAR, the 22:56Z METAR was used to calculate the wind components upon arrival. Utilizing an online E6BX headwind and crosswind calculator, it was determined that the aircraft landed with a crosswind of 25KTS, and a tailwind of 21KTS. The available flight data indicates the aircraft landed downwind on runway 080 (left quartering) following an un-stabilized straight in approach on a heading of 090 from FL 330 ending at initial touch down at 173 KIAS and a ground speed of 203 KIAS. At approximately 1,700 AGL, the aircraft reached a maximum pitch down of -6.5 degrees with an airspeed of 179 KIAS and a vertical decent rate of 2,712 fpm. The spoilers were fully deployed. It appears that just before touchdown, the aircraft pitched down significantly in what seems to be an effort to ?force? The aircraft onto the runway resulting in a nearly flat hard landing. As of this filing the operator has not contacted the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 8, 2020, SWIFT AIR (I5EA), THE OPERATOR OF AIRCRAFT N313XA, REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT, A BOEING 737-400 OPERATING AS FLIGHT SWQ818 BETWEEN EUGENE AIRPORT, OREGON (KEUG) AND WENDOVER AIRPORT, UTAH (KENV) EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AT KENV. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KEUG @ 01:28 PM PST AND ARRIVED KENV @ 03:36 PM MST. SWIFT AIR REPORTED THERE WERE CROSSWINDS AT THE TIME OF LANDING ON RUNWAY 26. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED 330 AT 13 AND GUSTING TO 27 MPH.
THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT GEAR AND WING STRUCTURE. THE OPERATOR ALSO REPORTED SOME PANELS BROKE OFF. THE LANDING REPORTEDLY CAUSED PASSENGER SERVICE UNITS (PSU) TO DROP OXYGEN MASKS. THE EXTENT OF THE ACTUAL DAMAGE IS NOT FULLY KNOWN AS THE OPERATOR HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY RECORD OF RESULTS OF A HARD LANDING INSPECTION, ONLY INCOMPLETE RECORDS OF RELATED MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS.
THE FLIGHT RECORDERS WERE SECURED AND THE CREW DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING WAS SCHEDULED BY THE AIR CARRIER. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT BLOCK THE RUNWAY. WENDOVER IS UNCONTROLLED. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE CAPTAIN RECORDED THE HARD LANDING BUT NOT ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS (N313XA MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCY LOG PAGE 42219).
AVAILABLE RECORDS INDICATE THAT BETWEEN 2/9/2020 AND 2/11/2020 THE OPERATOR PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRCRAFT AT THE INCIDENT SITE KENV. MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR UPLOCK, MAINWHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLIES, DAMPER, SIDE STRUT, GEAR DOOR AND OUTBOARD FLAP FAIRING WERE REPLACED. ON 2/11/2020 THE OPERATOR APPARENTLY ISSUED A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT FOR THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT UNDER OPERATIONS SPECIFICATION CONTINUING AUTHORIZATION TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT FROM KENV TO KMIA PRECLUDING FAA ON SCENE INVESTIGATION.
THE OPERATORS (SMS) INVESTIGATION REPORT RECEIVED 2/20/2020 STATES THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE HARD LANDING INCIDENT AS ??CAPTAIN?S DECISION TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH AND LANDING OUTSIDE THE REQUIRED STABILIZED APPROACH CRITERIA.? THE OPERATOR INTERVIEWED BOTH PILOTS. INTERVIEW NOTES MAKE NO MENTION OF STABILIZED APPROACH CRITERIA OR INITIATION OF A GO AROUND BUT FOCUSES ON THE CROSSWIND (DOWNWIND ) CALCULATIONS OF THE PILOT. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE ?VFR? THE USE OF OTHER RUNWAYS WAS NOT CONSIDERED. CREW PAIRING AND SIC PILOT LOW TIME IN TYPE WAS NOT CONSIDERED IN THE REPORT. WITH THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVING AT KENV CLOSER TO THE 22:56Z METAR AS OPPOSED TO THE 21:56Z METAR, THE 22:56Z METAR WAS USED TO CALCULATE THE WIND COMPONENTS UPON ARRIVAL. UTILIZING AN ONLINE E6BX HEADWIND AND CROSSWIND CALCULATOR, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH A CROSSWIND OF 25KTS, AND A TAILWIND OF 21KTS. THE AVAILABLE FLIGHT DATA INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT LANDED DOWNWIND ON RUNWAY 080 (LEFT QUARTERING) FOLLOWING AN UN-STABILIZED STRAIGHT IN APPROACH ON A HEADING OF 090 FROM FL 330 ENDING AT INITIAL TOUCH DOWN AT 173 KIAS AND A GROUND SPEED OF 203 KIAS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1,700 AGL, THE AIRCRAFT REACHED A MAXIMUM PITCH DOWN OF -6.5 DEGREES WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 179 KIAS AND A VERTICAL DECENT RATE OF 2,712 FPM. THE SPOILERS WERE FULLY DEPLOYED. IT APPEARS THAT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN EFFORT TO ?FORCE? THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN A NEARLY FLAT HARD LANDING. AS OF THIS FILING THE OPERATOR HAS NOT CONTACTED THE NTSB.