Kyrgyz 737 tried diverting after hard touchdown damaged gear

Investigators have revealed that a Kyrgyz-operated Boeing 737-300 suffered landing-gear damage in a hard touchdown at Osh before executing a missed approach.

Despite the impact the aircraft became airborne and started diverting to Bishkek but returned to Osh when it began suffering other system failures.

The damage sustained by the undercarriage during the first landing attempt meant the landing-gear subsequently collapsed when the aircraft touched down at Osh for the second time.

Russian air transport regulator Rosaviatsia states that weather conditions atOsh, which has a Category I instrument landing system, were below minima with runway visibility down to just 50m.

The Avia Traffic aircraft – transporting 159 occupants – had been approaching Osh on 22 November.

Rosaviatsia says the aircraft experienced a rough touchdown and the crew aborted the landing, choosing to divert to Bishkek.

But during the diversion the crew encountered signs of system failure in the starboard CFM International CFM56 engine as well as hydraulic problems.

Rosaviatsia states that the pilots shut down the powerplant and opted to return to Osh for an emergency landing – in spite of the poor weather.

The aircraft suffered a landing-gear failure on touchdown which, says the authority, indicates that the undercarriage had been damaged during the first landing attempt.

Rosaviatsia says the aircraft effectively landed on its engines and the underside of the fuselage. It touched down about 1,400m from the threshold and continued to slide along the runway for about 500m.

While a small number of passengers sustained injuries, and four were transported to hospital, there were no fatalities, although the accident destroyed the 737’s undercarriage and engines and damaged the fuselage.

Rosaviatsia states that the captain had accumulated 3,500h on 737s including over 2,000 in command.