Hard landing and tail strike
Porter Airlines (Canada) Limited
De Havilland DHC-8-402, C-GLQP
Fredericton International Airport (CYFC), New Brunswick
The occurrence
On 28 June 2024, a De Havilland Dash 8 aircraft, operated by Porter Airlines (Canada) Limited, was on approach to land at the Fredericton International Airport, New Brunswick, when the aircraft experienced a hard landing and tail strike. As a result, the flight crew conducted a go around, and landed without further incident.
During a subsequent inspection of the aircraft, the ground crew discovered substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage near the rear cargo door and reported it immediately. The TSB is investigating.
Media materials
Investigation information
A24A0038
Hard landing and tail strike
Porter Airlines (Canada) Limited
De Havilland DHC-8-402, C-GLQP
Fredericton International Airport (CYFC), New Brunswick
Investigator-in-charge
Austin Adams joined the TSB’s Air Investigations Branch as a Senior Investigator, Atlantic Region, in September 2017. Prior to that, he worked as a turboprop training pilot at Transport Canada’s Aircraft Services Directorate in Ottawa. He also held various supervisory roles in flight operations, from Chief Pilot to manager of flight training, and has been an Approved Check Pilot for many years.
Mr. Adams has more than 13 800 hours of experience flying with commercial air carriers. He has flown a variety of aircraft including the Dash 8 Q400, Saab 340, Beech 1900 and King Air. He is an active member of the Cadet Instructors Cadre as a Captain and has been involved with the Air Cadet gliding program for more than 20 years as an instructor, tow pilot, and flight safety officer.
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Class of investigation
This is a class 4 investigation. These investigations are limited in scope, and while the final reports may contain limited analysis, they do not contain findings or recommendations. Class 4 investigations are generally completed within 220 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.