The report indicates that the aircraft was descending at a rate of 1,100 feet per minute, nearly double the threshold for a "hard landing," which is pegged at 600 feet per minute, as defined by Endeavor Air's operational guidelines. Just prior to landing, an audible warning signaled the rapid descent, and after touchdown, a component of the landing gear on the right side of the aircraft broke. This led the plane to roll to the right, causing the right wing to detach, resulting in a fire as the aircraft came to a halt upside down. Despite these dire circumstances, all 80 individuals aboard, including 76 passengers and four crew members, evacuated unharmed. An explosion occurred shortly after the evacuation near the left wing.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, remarked on the landing speed, indicating it might have surpassed the structural limits of the landing gear.