What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On short final approach to runway at kewr, airplane was low on approach and struck a light pole and surface vehicle. Landed on runway 29 and taxied to gate. The captain stated that he turned off the autopilot and the auto-throttles at approximately 880 ft MSL or just around axell. He said that he “got fast” while he turned the airplane into the headwind and pulled the power levers back to compensate. The airplane shortly returned to a stable airspeed even though the wind gusts were producing “moderate turbulence.”
The captain stated he heard the first officer call out “airspeed slow” while on short final (inside ½ mile). He mentioned that he did not receive any windshear alerts and that he always felt that the airplane was in a safe position to land. He responded to the automated 500 ft callout with the statement “stable”.
At 500 ft, the first officer stated, they were on speed and on profile, and the captain was maintaining his planned profile of 3 red and 1 white on the PAPI. Once again, the CVR did not capture any discussion of PAPI lights for runway 29 prior to landing. Additionally, the captain, as the pf, was looking outside the airplane, and the first officer as the pm was “more committed to being inside the airplane, looking for trends.”
As they descended, the airspeed began to decay, and the first officer recalled that he stated, “hey you are slow,” followed moments later by, “you are still slow and a little low.” the pm then looked back outside, and at that point recalled “I thought we were low”, however they were just about to touch down, and he didn’t process the information in time to get a go-around callout verbalized. The airplane landed, taxied to the gate, and all passengers and crew deplaned normally.
As the FAA filed it
ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY AT KEWR, AIRPLANE WAS LOW ON APPROACH AND STRUCK A LIGHT POLE AND SURFACE VEHICLE. LANDED ON RUNWAY 29 AND TAXIED TO GATE. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE TURNED OFF THE AUTOPILOT AND THE AUTO-THROTTLES AT APPROXIMATELY 880 FT MSL OR JUST AROUND AXELL. HE SAID THAT HE “GOT FAST” WHILE HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE HEADWIND AND PULLED THE POWER LEVERS BACK TO COMPENSATE. THE AIRPLANE SHORTLY RETURNED TO A STABLE AIRSPEED EVEN THOUGH THE WIND GUSTS WERE PRODUCING “MODERATE TURBULENCE.”
THE CAPTAIN STATED HE HEARD THE FIRST OFFICER CALL OUT “AIRSPEED SLOW” WHILE ON SHORT FINAL (INSIDE ½ MILE). HE MENTIONED THAT HE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY WINDSHEAR ALERTS AND THAT HE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A SAFE POSITION TO LAND. HE RESPONDED TO THE AUTOMATED 500 FT CALLOUT WITH THE STATEMENT “STABLE”.
AT 500 FT, THE FIRST OFFICER STATED, THEY WERE ON SPEED AND ON PROFILE, AND THE CAPTAIN WAS MAINTAINING HIS PLANNED PROFILE OF 3 RED AND 1 WHITE ON THE PAPI. ONCE AGAIN, THE CVR DID NOT CAPTURE ANY DISCUSSION OF PAPI LIGHTS FOR RUNWAY 29 PRIOR TO LANDING. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAPTAIN, AS THE PF, WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE, AND THE FIRST OFFICER AS THE PM WAS “MORE COMMITTED TO BEING INSIDE THE AIRPLANE, LOOKING FOR TRENDS.”
AS THEY DESCENDED, THE AIRSPEED BEGAN TO DECAY, AND THE FIRST OFFICER RECALLED THAT HE STATED, “HEY YOU ARE SLOW,” FOLLOWED MOMENTS LATER BY, “YOU ARE STILL SLOW AND A LITTLE LOW.” THE PM THEN LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE, AND AT THAT POINT RECALLED “I THOUGHT WE WERE LOW”, HOWEVER THEY WERE JUST ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN, AND HE DIDN’T PROCESS THE INFORMATION IN TIME TO GET A GO-AROUND CALLOUT VERBALIZED. THE AIRPLANE LANDED, TAXIED TO THE GATE, AND ALL PASSENGERS AND CREW DEPLANED NORMALLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.