Approach Speed Focus of Accident Probe Into Overturned CRJ-900 in Toronto

During the February 17 incident, the Delta Air Lines regional jet operated by Endeavor Air was arriving from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (KMSP) when it landed hard on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ) in gusty winds. 

The impact destroyed part of the landing gear and caused the right wing to strike the ground before it was sheared off, igniting jet fuel, TSB said. The aircraft came to rest upside down on the runway. All 80 occupants on board the aircraft were able to evacuate, and although there were some injuries, there was no loss of life. 

The preliminary investigation report breaks down the details and crew's actions prior to the event.

The weather at the time of the accident was reported as 6 miles visibility in blowing snow and winds from 270 degrees (true) at 28 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The aircraft was on approach to Runway 24L, which had a runway visual range between 3,000 feet and 6,000 feet. The ceiling was broken at 3,400 feet.

The preliminary investigation report said that the first officer (FO) was sitting in the right seat and pilot flight (PF) during the approach. The FO holds an airline transport pilot rating and has been with Endeavor Air since January 2024. 

"At the time of the occurrence, she had accumulated 1,422.3 hours total flight time, including 418.7 hours on the aircraft type. The first officer was on day five of a five-day work cycle. She had flown 56.3 hours in the previous 30 days," the TSB report said.

The captain, who also holds an ATP certificate, was in the left seat of the cockpit. He had been employed with Endeavor Air since October 2007 and had accumulated about 3,570 hours total flight time, including 764 hours on the aircraft type. The accident flight was his first flight of the day and his first flight in seven days. In the previous seven days, the captain had worked three days as an instructor. He had flown 3.5 hours in the previous 30 days. 

The February 17 flight from Minneapolis to Toronto proceeded uneventfully, and the crew received clearance for the instrument landing system approach to Runway 23, TSB said. 

"The landing reference speed (VREF) for the approach was 139 knots," the report said. "According to Endeavor Air’s CRJ700/900 series company flight manual, 'Final approach is flown at VREF+5 knots. When operating in gusty wind conditions, increase VREF by [half] of the gust factor not to exceed 10 kias [knots indicated airspeed].' On the occurrence flight, the flight crew set the speed bug to VREF+5 knots, or 144 knots. Given the reported wind gusts, the approach was flown at 149 knots."

2:12:01 p.m

The aircraft descended through 500 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft’s indicated airspeed was 150 knots, its ground speed was 121 knots, and the engine thrust was indicating approximately 64 percent. The rate of descent was 720 fpm, and the aircraft was on course with the localizer and glideslope centered. Five seconds later, the PF disconnected the autopilot. 

2:12:26 p.m.

While the aircraft was descending through 175 feet agl, its indicated airspeed was 144 knots, with a ground speed of 121 knots and a rate of descent of 672 fpm. The thrust remained at approximately 64 percent. 

2:12:30 p.m.

While the aircraft was descending through 153 feet agl, its indicated airspeed increased to 154 knots, however, the ground speed did not change appreciably, which investigators note is consistent with a performance increasing wind gust. The PF pulled back the thrust levers, and as a result, over the following five seconds, thrust decreased from 64 percent to approximately 43 percent, where it remained until touchdown. The airspeed began to decrease. 

2:12:40 p.m.

Approximately 3.6 seconds before touchdown, the aircraft was approximately 50 feet above ground, the indicated airspeed was 145 knots and the ground speed 112 knots. The rate of descent had increased to 1,114 fpm. 

The enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) aural alert “fifty” sounded to indicate the aircraft was at 50 feet agl, which is a standard callout. 

At 2.6 seconds before touchdown, the EGPWS alert “sink rate” sounded, indicating a high rate of descent. The aircraft’s indicated airspeed was 136 knots, its ground speed was 111 knots, and the rate of descent had remained at about 1,100 fpm. The aircraft's bank angle increased to a 4.7 degrees right bank. The engine thrust was steady at approximately 43 percent.

2:12:42 p.m.

Approximately 1.6 seconds before touchdown, the aircraft’s indicated airspeed was 136 knots, and its ground speed was 111 knots. The aircraft was slightly below the glideslope but on the visual segment of the approach and tracking the runway centerline. The rate of descent had increased to 1,072 fpm, and the bank angle was 5.9 degrees to the right. 

Less than one second before touchdown, the aircraft’s indicated airspeed was 134 knots, and its ground speed was 111 knots. The bank angle was 7.1 degrees to the right, and the pitch attitude was 1 degree nose up. The rate of descent was recorded as 1,110 fpm. 

2:12:43.6 p.m.

The right main landing gear contacted the runway. The aircraft was in a 7.5 degrees bank to the right with 1 degree of nose-up pitch and a recorded 3g vertical acceleration, at a rate of descent of approximately 1,098 fpm. At touchdown the side-stay attached to the right landing gear fractured and the landing gear folded into the retracted position.

The wing root fractured between the fuselage and the landing gear, and the wing detached from the fuselage, releasing a cloud of jet fuel, which caught fire. As the aircraft slid down the runway the fuselage rolled inverted, and most of the aircraft's tail was torn off.

The investigation included a review of the airline operations manual that states “pilots should initiate the flare between 30 and 20 feet agl by increasing pitch attitude as needed to slow the descent rate while continuing to reduce thrust to idle. At 20 feet, back pressure on the control column is to be maintained as necessary to hold a constant pitch angle.”

The manual also states that the pitch attitude at touchdown should be between 3 degrees and 8 degrees, depending on the landing reference speed (VREF) of the aircraft. 

The manual also defines a hard landing as one with a “vertical descent rate greater than 600 [feet per minute] when the aircraft's gross weight is less than or equal to MLW [maximum landing weight].”