- Location: Houston, Texas
- Accident Number: DCA24FA179
- Date & Time: May 3, 2024, 18:20 Local
- Registration: N942JX
- Aircraft: Embraer EMB-145LR
- Aircraft Damage: Substantial
- Defining Event: Landing gear collapse
- Injuries: 1 Minor, 23 None
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateFinalReport/194201/pdf
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194201
On May 3, 2024, about 1820 central daylight time (CDT), Delux Public Charter, doing business as JSX Air flight 284, an Embraer EMB-145LR, LMLG collapsed during landing at HOU, Houston, Texas. There were no injuries to the 3 crew and 21 passengers onboard. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 as a nonscheduled passenger flight from Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Dallas, Texas to HOU.
During descent into William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU), air traffic control (ATC) advised the Delux Public Charter, doing business as JSX Air, flight crew to expect runway 4 for landing and that winds were from 130° at 16 knots (kts), gusting to 24 kts, which was below the Embraer EMB-145LR’s recommended maximum gust of 30 kts. According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, the captain, who was the pilot flying, expressed concern about the crosswind, but the first officer (FO), who was the pilot monitoring, stated it was “not that bad” of a crosswind. On approach, about 1,300 ft above ground level (agl), the autopilot was disconnected. Shortly thereafter, the pitch trim was moved in the aircraft nose down (AND) direction, while the captain pulled aft on the control column to maintain an aircraft nose up (ANU) attitude.
Throughout the approach, the AND pitch trim continued and ANU pressure (aft) was applied to the control column. Before touchdown, the captain called for a go-around, but the airplane touched down before the go-around was initiated. The airplane did not flare before landing, likely due to the excessive use of AND pitch trim, which limited the captain’s control column authority to arrest the descent. The airplane touched down hard and the left main landing gear (LMLG) separated.
FDR data captured the accident flight and two previous flights, one of which was flown by the accident captain. The Airplane Performance Study compared the use of pitch trim across the three flights in the 90 seconds before touchdown – the accident flight, a previous flight flown by the accident captain and a flight flown by a different pilot. In the accident flight, the accident captain made AND and ANU pitch trim inputs throughout the landing approach and pitch trim oscillated between about 0° and 2° ANU. This was likely a technique used to adjust airplane pitch and vertical speed. About 17 seconds before touchdown, AND inputs were made and at touchdown, pitch trim was at -2.86 and continued to about -4°, full AND.
In the previous flight flown by the accident captain, the captain made similar AND and ANU pitch trim inputs until 10 seconds before touchdown when ANU pitch trim inputs were made to about 3° ANU at touchdown. In the flight flown by another pilot, the pilot flying made no pitch trim inputs. Although use of trim on the approach was not trained or encouraged by JSX, the data is consistent with the captain’s admission that she would use the trim during the approach and flare. However, on the accident flight, the captain continued to use AND trim rather than ANU trim, as was her technique.
The captain had amblyopia, which likely impaired her binocular depth perception, but there was no evidence that impaired binocular depth perception was a factor in the accident. Amblyopia also may include brain effects that can adversely affect performance of some visuo-cognitive tasks. However, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that any such effects contributed significantly to the captain’s workload or performance during the approach. Thus, reviewed evidence provided no clear indication that the captain’s amblyopia contributed to the accident.
The LMLG separated during the hard landing due to vertical acceleration that exceeded its design limits. The hard landing and resulting gear separation resulted in substantial damage to the left wing structure.
- Probable Cause: The captain’s unintentional use of the nose down pitch trim during final approach which limited the elevator control authority resulting in a hard landing that collapsed the left main landing gear.
- Pilot Information:
Captain
The captain was hired by JSX Air in July 2022 as a FO. At the time of the accident, the captain was based at DAL and held a type rating for the EMB-145.
A review of the captain’s training records indicated her most recent training and simulator check, which included crosswind landings, was completed satisfactorily on February 11 and 12, 2024.
As of the accident date, the captain possessed a current first-class FAA medical certificate. In 2019, based on an eye examination and a successful medical flight test, the FAA had granted her a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) for first-class medical certification with right eye amblyopia, a stable condition that she had since childhood, and that made her unable to meet first-class visual acuity standards with her right eye.
Her SODA carried a limitation that she must use corrective lenses and her medical certificate as of the accident date did not. Her most recent aviation medical examination before the accident was August 15, 2023. At that time, her distant and near visual acuities were normal when using both eyes together, without corrective lenses.
First Officer
The FO was hired by JSX Air in October 2023. At the time of the accident, the FO was based at DAL and held a type rating for the EMB-145 with a pilot in command (PIC) limitation.
The FO completed EMB-145 initial type rating on November 16, 2023, and initial operating experience (IOE) on January 11, 2024.
As of the accident date, the FO possessed a current first-class FAA medical certificate without limitations or waivers.
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