Two Aer Lingus cabin crew members sustained injuries during a tailstrike caused by an aborted landing in Washington Dulles Aiport, a new investigation has revealed.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) conducted a report on a transatlantic flight from Dublin to Washington of an Airbus A321 on 30 August 2023.
The plane experienced a tailstrike – where the tail of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during landing or take off, caused by the plane veering too high out of the flight’s glidepath during landing.
Both injured members of the cabin crew were seated at the rear of the aircraft during the incident and sustained minor injuries including lower back ache and strain.
A total of 145 passengers and six crew members were on the aircraft when the incident occurred.
As the aircraft descended, a reduction in headwind and the airspeed caused a partial loss of lift of the plane, which the pilot attempted to correct to regain the planned glidepath.
During the landing manoeuvre, the aircraft bounced to a low height, causing it to pitch up beyond its tailstrike limit and make contact with the runway.
The plane became airborne again after the initial touchdown and the pilot initiated a go-around and “landed uneventfully” in a second attempt.
One of the injured cabin crew members said the first touchdown was similar to a hard landing – when an aircraft hits the ground with greater speed and force than planned, and that she heard a bang during the second touchdown, which seemed to come from underneath the aircraft.
She said she had experienced hard landings before, but nothing like what happened during the occurrence.
She told the Investigation she was not aware of the term “tailstrike” before the event and that the subject was not discussed during safety training.
The Operator informed the Investigation that no follow-up reports or medical assessments were submitted by the cabin crew members and they worked on the return flight home the following evening.
The Commander of the flight, also known as the pilot in command, said the first time he was informed that the cabin crew at the rear of the aircraft heard or felt something during the occurrence was upon arrival at the crew hotel.
The Commander said the weather forecast for the Washington DC area did not indicate any adverse conditions for landing.
According to the AAIU report, nothing unusual caught the Commander’s attention until the final 100 feet of the aircraft’s approach when gusty conditions caused the aircraft to become too high on its flightpath.
The Commander said everything happened very quickly and that the aircraft experienced a “fairly significant bounce,” deeming it a “classic” tailstrike scenario.
A report from a US based repair organisation stated external damage was seen on the plane which consisted of material loss with punctures and cracks at the frame stations, but minimal internal defects were found.
An airfield inspection following the event stated scrape marks were observed approximately 1,300 ft from the runway threshold which were consistent with a tailstrike.
The aircraft was grounded and required repairs before returning to service in January 2024, five months after the incident.
The AAIU noted that a pre-flight briefing by the flight crew in Dublin included a discussion on the potential threat of a tailstrike during a landing.
A spokesperson for Aer Lingus said: “Aer Lingus has received the AAIU’s report into a tailstrike occurrence on a landing at Washington Dulles Airport in August 2023.
“Aer Lingus engaged extensively with the AAIU during its investigation process and implemented a number of safety actions following the occurrence.
“Aer Lingus notes that consequently there were no safety recommendations contained in the AAIU’s report.
“Aer Lingus has implemented training related safety actions covering awareness and identification, as well as simulator training.”
