Date:	Saturday 10 December 2016
Time:	12:24
Type:	Boeing 737-46J
Owner/operator:	Safi Airways
Registration:	JY-JAQ
MSN:	27826/2694
Year of manufacture:	1995
Total airframe hrs:	56805 hours
Cycles:	28611 flights
Engine model:	CFMI CFM56-3C1
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 173
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Kabul-Hamid Karzai International Airport (KBL) -   Afghanistan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Herat Airport (HEA/OAHR)
Destination airport:	Kabul-Hamid Karzai International Airport (KBL/OAKB)
Investigating agency:	AAID Jordan
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Safi Airways flight 502, a Boeing 737-400, was damaged in a landing accident on runway 29 at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan.
The flight departed from Herat Airport, Afghanistan at 07:00 UTC, bound for Kabul International Airport.
As the flight approached Kabul, the crew received the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) at 07:45 UTC indicating normal weather with visibility of 6 km, temperature +7 degrees Celsius and wind of 150° at 7 knots.
The aircraft was configured for landing with the flaps set to 30, and approach speed selected of 152 knots (Vref + 10) indicated airspeed (IAS). The aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 29. The aircraft was vectored by the radar controller for runway 29. Air flight was cleared to land, with the wind reported to be 190 degrees at 15 knots.
The crew stated that a few seconds after the touchdown, they felt the aircraft vibrating, during which they applied brakes and deployed the reverse thrust. The vibration was followed by the aircraft rolling slightly low to the right. It later came to a full stop left of the runway centre line, resting on its left main landing gear and the right engine, with the nose landing gear in the air.
The captain declared an emergency to ATC and the crew initiated an evacuation from the left side of the aircraft. Evacuation was successfully accomplished with no reported injuries.

Kabul ARFF reached the occurrence aircraft and observed the smoke coming from right side and immediately deployed their procedures by spraying foam on engine no. 2.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage due to the separation of the right main gear resulting in the aircraft skidding on the right engine cowlings.

CAUSE:
The Investigation committee determines that the airplane occasionally experienced main landing gear shimmy and the most probable cause indicated that the struts were extended for long period of time. As a result, the torsion link of the shimmy damper remained in an extended vertical position, where the damper has less mechanical advantage for longer periods of time. Despite the presence of shimmy damper hardware which is designed to reduce the torsional vibration energy generated during landing.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
- High altitude airport of 5877 feet
- An overly soft landing, allows the landing gears to remain in the air mode longer, which makes them more vulnerable to shimmy
- Touchdown with a closure rate of 1 fps, which is considered overly soft and may increase the risk of shimmy torsional forces
- High ground speed at touchdown of 178 knots ,which resulted from the high touchdown airspeed of 158 knots , touchdown at (VREF+16)

07:50 UTC / 12:20 local time:
OAKB 100750Z 15009KT 6000 BKN040 09/03 Q1015 NOSIG RMK WHT WHT

Safi Airways

photo (c) AAIB; 10 December 2016

Date/time	Contributor	Updates