An Air India Express Boeing 737-800, operating flight IX331 from Calicut (Kerala), experienced a tail strike while landing at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport on April 22, 2025. The flight had 174 individuals on board, including 4 cabin crew members, with no injuries reported, though the aircraft sustained minor damage.
In its summary report released last month, the Air Accident Investigation Sector of the UAE identified a breakdown in Crew Resource Management (CRM) as a significant factor in the tail strike incident.
“… The captain took control at a low altitude without the mandatory PF (Pilot Flying)/PM (Pilot Monitoring) transfer of control callouts. This led to poor coordination, negatively impacting the stabilised approach and the proper flare manoeuvre,” the report noted.
The investigation agency indicated that the incident revealed shortcomings in compliance with the stabilised approach, energy management, bounce recovery, and the application of CRM.
“As a result, the Investigation recommends that the DGCA enhance regulatory oversight to ensure operators prioritize stabilised approach criteria, accurate energy management during landings, and effective bounce recovery techniques in training and operational procedures,” it stated.
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Additionally, it was recommended that Air India Express reinforce adherence to stabilised-approach criteria and energy management standards among flight crews during landings, along with bounce recognition and recovery, including mandatory go-around decision points.
While highlighting that the flight’s captain took control at a low altitude without the standard PF/PM callouts, the report indicated that the CRM breakdown contributed to insufficient flare inputs and inconsistent control actions.
“Therefore, the Investigation recommends that the operator enhance CRM training to ensure the standard PF/PM transfer of control callouts are consistently observed,” it concluded.
