Description

On 11 December 2006, a Finnish Commuter Airlines ATR 42-500 veered off the runway on landing at Seinäjoki, Finland.

Synopsis

The following is an extract from the Summary of the official Investigation Report published by the Accident Investigation Board Finland (AIBF):

"…on 11 December a Finnish Commuter Airlines’ ATR-42, on its scheduled route from Helsinki to Kokkola with a stopover at Seinäjoki, was approaching Seinäjoki runway 32 in gusty crosswinds at dark. According to ATIS information wind was 180 degrees 12 knots, maximum 22 knots. When the aircraft called Outer Marker (PSJ) inbound the AFIS officer reported the previous two minutes’ average wind: 190 degrees 10 kts, maximum 16. Because this wind information did not exceed the limitations of the flight manual the captain decided to land on runway 32. Halfway through the landing roll the aircraft suddenly and strongly veered to the left. Despite the flight crew’s best efforts at approximately 700 m from threshold the aircraft veered off the 30 m wide runway. The left main landing gear travelled approximately 115 m at ca. 2 m from the edge of the paved surface on the 2.5 m wide sand/gravel runway shoulder, leaving a few centimetres-deep rut in the gravel. The landing gear hit and destroyed two runway edge lights and its anti skid wiring was cut. The captain managed to steer the aircraft back onto the runway, whereafter he taxied to the apron. After the damage to the aircraft was inspected the following leg of the flight was cancelled…