Alliance ATR 72 undershot runway after deviating from glidepath in poor weather

Inquiry into Bhubaneswar occurrence highlights failure to conduct missed approach.
Indian investigators state that failure to execute a go-around during an unstable approach in adverse weather conditions resulted in an ATR 72-600 landing short of the runway at the eastern city of Bhubaneswar.

The Alliance Air aircraft (VT-RKF) suffered damage to its fuselage, landing-gear bay, and flaps as it touched down 30m before the runway 14 threshold, striking a light pole.

India’s aircraft accident investigation bureau says the ATR, inbound from Rourkela on 8 October 2024, encountered heavy rain, turbulence and low visibility conditions during the ILS approach.

Its airspeed fluctuated between 110kt and 130kt, and its pitch between 2° nose-up and 6° nose-down, as it descended below 1,000ft.

The rate of descent was similarly unsteady, ranging from 200-900ft/min, although the aircraft managed to maintain the glidepath.

But the inquiry says a headwind of 10kt “changed rapidly” to a tailwind of 15kt below 250ft, which it attributes to low-level windshear and possible microburst activity.

While the autopilot was still active, the captain made a “significant” nose-down input at about 200ft, disengaging the autopilot.

The aircraft’s nose-down pitch steepened from 2° to 5° and its descent rate increased to nearly 1,000ft/min just 100ft above ground.

Investigators state that the ATR deviated below the normal ILS glidepath but “no significant corrective control column input was recorded”.

The aircraft’s airspeed “decreased rapidly”, it adds, from 118kt to 101kt within 5s – consistent with the effects of the turbulence – and “strong” nose-up inputs were made at 20ft. The ATR pitched 3° nose-up in the flare but the aircraft undershot the runway.

According to the inquiry the combination of unstable atmospheric conditions, strong control inputs, autopilot disengagement, and an increasing descent rate “created a highly-critical flight situation at very low altitude”.

None of the 43 passengers and four crew members was injured.

Investigators state that there was a “delayed recognition” of unstable approach conditions and “failure to initiate a go-around”. It has recommended reinforced crew training requirements to the operator, incorporating advanced scenarios including rapidly-deteriorating weather – heavy rain and low visibility – during approaches.

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