Accident Bombardier DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 C-GLQO,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320749

Date:	Sunday 26 May 2013
Time:	22:16
Type:	Bombardier DHC-8-402Q Dash 8
Owner/operator:	Porter Airlines
Registration:	C-GLQO
MSN:	4270
Year of manufacture:	2009
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 63
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, repaired
Category:	Accident
Location:	Sault Ste. Marie Airport, ON (YAM) - Canada
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Toronto City-Billy Bishop Airport, ON (YTZ/CYTZ)
Destination airport:	Sault Ste. Marie Airport, ON (YAM/CYAM)
Investigating agency:	TSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Bombardier DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 aircraft, C-GLQO, sustained substantial damage in tailstrike accident on landing at Sault Ste. Marie Airport, ON (YAM), Canada. There were no reported injuries.
Porter Airlines flight 689 was on a visual short final approach to Sault Ste. Marie's Airport runway 30 when power was reduced to correct the descent profile. The aircraft's descent rate quickly increased and was not arrested with power application. The airspeed decreased, causing the approach to become unstabilized.
The aircraft landed hard and during the landing flair the pitch angle increased such that the tail of the aircraft contacted the runway surface. There was significant damage to the aircraft skin and structure where it contacted the ground. The aircraft taxied to the gate without further incident.

Findings as to causes and contributing factors:
1. Neither crew member identified that the airspeed had dropped below landing reference speed; the flight no longer met the requirements of a stabilized approach, and an overshoot was required.
2. The pilot monitoring did not identify the decreasing airspeed and increasing descent rate in time to notify the pilot flying or intervene.
3. In response to the pilot monitoring's warning to add power, the pilot flying pitched the nose up beyond the limits stated in the standard operating procedures and the manufacturer's pitch awareness training.
4. The high rate of descent coupled with the high nose-up attitude of the aircraft resulted in the hard landing that compressed the struts and allowed the tail to strike the runway.

Findings as to risk
1. If standard operating procedures do not clearly define the requirements for a stabilized visual approach, there is an increased risk that continued flight could result in a landing accident.
2. If standard operating procedures do not clearly define the duties of the pilot monitoring, there is an increased risk that unsafe flight conditions could develop.

Accident investigation: