ATR flew return sector after captain failed to see tail-strike damage

Investigators have revealed that a White Airways ATR 72-600 operated a return flight to Lisbon in an un-airworthy state after the captain failed to notice significant damage to the turboprop following a hard landing. The aircraft, operating for TAP Express, suffered a tail-strike after an unstable approach resulted in a bounced touchdown at Fez July last year, says Portuguese investigation authority GPIAA. Such was the impact that a flight attendant was injured, an access panel fell from the ceiling, and disembarking passengers queried the cabin crew about what had happened during the landing. “No reports regarding aircraft condition discrepancies were made during the tail-support installation procedure,” says GPIAA. <br/>