Summary
- The NTSB has issued a preliminary report about an incident involving a JSX Embraer ERJ145 on a flight that was operated by Delux Public Charter on May 3, 2024.
- The incident resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear (LMLG) of the aircraft, with one person suffering minor injuries.
- The preliminary report came shortly after the FAA issued a statement that it would begin adressing part 135 public charter regulations.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued its preliminary report about an incident involving a JSX flight that was operated by Delux Public Charter, which resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear (LMLG) of an Embraer ERJ145, registered as N942JX.
Calling for a go-around before a hard landing
The NTSB detailed that the incident happened at Houston Hobby International Airport (HOU) on May 3, 2024. Delux Public Charter was operating a flight on behalf of JSX between Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) and HOU, with JSX selling tickets for flight XE284. The flight was operated under Part 135 rules as a public charter flight.
Following interviews with the NTSB, the flight crew stated that the takeoff from DAL and the subsequent climb, cruise, and descent were uneventful. The investigators pointed out that during the approach at HOU, surface winds were 130 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 24 knots.
Photo: JSX
As the Embraer ERJ145 overflew the runway threshold at HOU, the flight crew told the NTSB that they felt that there was something wrong with the aircraft, calling for a go-around. The go-around was initiated by the captain, who was the pilot flying (PF).
Neither pilot could recall initiating the go-around, despite data from the flight data recorder (FDR) showing an increase in throttle lever angle consistent with commanding go-around thrust. However, the aircraft slammed into the ground at HOU shortly after.
Related
NTSB Issues Preliminary Report On Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Landing Gear Failure
The aircraft had touched down well below the hard landing threshold.
Puncturing the left wing
According to the NTSB, the vertical load factor during the touchdown was 3.9 gravitational constants (g). As the Embraer ERJ145 rolled down the runway, the aircraft’s LMLG collapsed, puncturing through the left wing’s upper skin.
Eventually, the private jet stopped on the left side of the runway, around 567 feet (172.8 meters) from the end of the runway. The NTSB detailed that the emergency services at HOU responded to the incident immediately, and the passengers and crew exited the aircraft via the main cabin door. Out of the 24 people who were onboard, including three flight crew members and 21 passengers, the first officer was the only person onboard to suffer minor injuries, and he was taken to the hospital.
An initial visual inspection of the accident site showed that the LMLG had suffered structural damage and deformation, as well as a hydraulic fluid leak. The left-wing spar III, which was a principal structural element, was bent and fractured through at two locations and partially fractured at three additional locations.
Photo: NTSB
However, the NTSB emphasized that despite damage to the wing’s structural elements, the fuel tank was not punctured during the incident at HOU. Most of the structural damage was consistent with a strong upward force from the LMLG, the investigators added.
“Damage to the outboard section of the wing was consistent with the wing scraping the runway surface and impacting runway lights.”
According to the NTSB, the investigation continues following the publication of the preliminary report involving several specialists, including airworthiness, operations, human performance, and specialists to extract data from both recorders, including the FDR and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). However, the investigators did not detail whether the CVR was overwritten due to US-operated aircraft only holding two hours of conversations due to federal regulations.
Furthermore, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Delux Public Charter, and since the aircraft was designed in Brazil, both the Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (Centro de Investigação e Prevenção de Acidentes Aeronáuticos, CENIPA) and Embraer will also participate in the investigation.
Related
NTSB Pushes FAA To Require 25 Hours Of Storage For Voice Recorders
One official explained that the recorders are “the most valuable tools for accident investigation.”
Cracking down on public charters
The incident report was published shortly after the FAA issued a statement that it was looking to address its concerns about public charter flights, which are operated under Part 135 regulations. However, it was very unlikely that the date of the preliminary report and the regulator’s statement were related.
Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock
Nevertheless, the FAA said that it was looking to take two actions against public charter companies, which includes JSX. Such flights, operated under Part 135 regulations, have expanded rapidly in terms of frequency and complexity, the regulator noted.
“Some services appear to operate like scheduled airlines but under less-rigorous safety regulations – a fact that oftentimes is not transparent to the flying public.”
The FAA was looking to address three definitions, namely ‘scheduled,’ ‘on demand,’ and ‘supplemental,’ resulting in more rigorous regulations that are more akin to other non-public charter operations.
While the FAA was yet to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the regulator stated that the NPRM would follow a request for comments in August 2023. Then, the agency received around 60,000 public comments.
Related
FAA Announces Plans To Amend Safety Regulations For Public Charter Flight Operators
The FAA has two points of action planned.