# NTSB DCA18CA252: Boeing 767, N641GT, Portsmouth, NH, July 27, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 27, 2018, 04:50 local (08:50 UTC) - Place: Portsmouth, NH - Coordinates: 43.078056, -70.823333 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0781&lon=-70.8233&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 250 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 97898 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA18CA252 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/97898/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97898 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18CA252 ## Probable cause an improper landing flare technique and the lack of the appropriate bounced landing recovery procedure. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing 767-38E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=1385154), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing 767-38E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1385154), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis On July 27, 2018, about 0452 eastern daylight time, Atlas Air Incorporated flight 8601, a Boeing 767, N641GT, experienced a hard landing at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, (KPSM), Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There were no injuries to the 250 passengers and crew onboard. The airplane was substantially damaged. The non-scheduled supplemental international passenger flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN), Hahn, Germany, to KPSM. The captain, a line check-airman, was the pilot monitoring and the first officer was the pilot flying and was completing his first operational evaluation. The takeoff, cruise and descent were normal. Visual meteorological conditions with light winds prevailed at the time of the landing. As the FO initiated the landing flare, the airplane became slightly high on the approach path (1 red and 3 white on the Precision Approach Path Indicators). According to the operator, the airplane touched down with limited flare and the engines were at nearly 50% N1, which inhibited the speedbrakes from deploying. The Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data indicated that the airplane porpoised five times down the runway. The maximum load factor recorded during landing bounces was about 2 g’s. Post landing inspection of the airplane found visibly wrinkled, dented and creased skin in the forward fuselage upper crown area, deformation to the nose wheel-well side web, and buckling/fracture of multiple frames and stringers. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N641GT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N641GT), registered now, S/N 25132, built 1992 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 767 (38E) - Registry model: [Boeing 767-38E](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-38e) (registry code 1385154) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [GE CF6-80C2B6F](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf6-80c2b6f) (registry code 30109, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 25132 - Year built: 1992 - Airframe hours: 84172 - Engines: General Electric CF6-80C2B6F 24995 horsepower turbo fan; General Electric CF6-80C2B6F 24995 horsepower turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Atlas Air Inc - Registered owner: Atlas Air Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, July 26, 2018 - Departed: EDFH, Hahn, OF - Destination: PSM, Portsmouth, NH - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: PSM, Portsmouth Intl At Pease, runway 34, 11,322 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 4, 2018; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 19,000 total, 1,984 in this make and model - Co-pilot; age 24; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 13, 2018; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 2,465 total, 16 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: PSM ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180727017409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180727017409A), Jul 27, 2018: Boeing 767-38E, Portsmouth, NH, Substantial damage. During landing and derotation, the nose of the aircraft was rapidly lowered, causing the nose gear to contact the runway with increased force. The impact… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97898. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7999122&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20for%20DCA18CA252_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 105 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7999757&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20Crew%20Statements-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.