Image: Tonga Civil Aviation Office/Google Earth
Concerned about indications of decreased hydraulic pressure and of a lack of hydraulic fluid, the crew of a Saab 340B returned to the departure airport for an uneventful landing. However, while taxiing to the terminal, the airplane lost the use of wheel brakes and directional control and veered off the taxiway, striking the wall around an unused fueling area.
None of the 38 passengers and crew on the Lulutai Airlines Saab was injured in the Dec. 8, 2023, accident at Fua’amotu International Airport in Tongatapu, but the airplane received substantial damage.
In its final report on the accident, the Tonga Civil Aviation Office cited a series of contributing factors, including that sometime during the flight, the circuit braker that powered the main hydraulic system pressure and quantity indicators and the inboard brakes hydraulic system pressure indicator had tripped and the indicators had stopped functioni…
