ASIAS BRIEF REPORT

GENERAL INFORMATION

Data Source:

ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT DATABASE

Report Number:

20021121035499C

Local Date:

21-NOV-02

Local Time:

City:

CHICAGO

State:

Airport Name:

CHICAGO OHARE INTL

Event Type:

INCIDENT - AIR CARRIER

Mid Air Collision:

NOT A MIDAIR

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

Aircraft Damage:

MINOR

Aircraft Make:

AIRBUS

Aircraft Model:

A319

Aircraft Series:

130

Airframe Hrs:

Operator:

UNITED AIRLINES

NARRATIVE

(-23) ON NOVEMBER 21, 2002 UNITED AIRLINES A319 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NUMBER N804UA DEPARTED O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON FLIGHT 603 BUT RETURNED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS TO THE FIELD AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 4RIGHT, DUE TO A NOSE LANDING GEAR MALFUNCTION. THE ORIGINAL CREW LOG ENTRY WAS AS FOLLOWS: "AFTER TAKEOFF, LANDING GEAR DID NOT RETRACT, ECAM (ELECTRONIC CENTRALIZED AIRCRAFT MONITORING) WAS LANDING GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT. LEFT GEAR DOWN (LANDING GEAR WAS NOT RETRACTED) AND RETURNED TO ORD. NOSE WHEEL STEERING WAS INOPERATIVE. ON LANDING NOSE WHEEL WAS 90 DEGREES COCKED TO ONE SIDE. TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL UNTIL NOSE CAME DOWN." SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 4RIGHT, EMERGENCY VEHICLES MET THE AIRCRAFT BUT WERE NOT NEEDED SINCE THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR SOME DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY. AFTERWARDS, INSPECTORS FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION CONDUCTED AN ON THE SCENE INVESTIGATION AND NOTED THE FOLLOWING CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT: ON LANDING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEELS HAD ROTATED 90-DEGREES FROM THEIR NORMAL POSITION WHICH PLACED BOTH WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLIES IN A POSITION WHERE THEY COULD NOT ROLL DOWN THE RUNWAY. BOTH TIRES HAD RU PTURED FROM THE SKID FRICTION AND THE LEFT TIRE DEPARTED ITS WHEEL RIM. THE WHEEL RIMS THEN GROUND DOWN TO THE SHOCK ABSORBER AXLE BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A HALT ON THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY HELD AND DID NOT COLLAPSE. A LATER EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND SUPPORT ASSEMBLY WAS CONDUCTED AND NO AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL OR LANDING GEAR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY DAMAGE WAS NOTED OTHER THAN TO THE WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLIES AND SHOCK ABSORBER AXLE. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WAS JACKED UP ON THE RUNWAY ENOUGH TO REMOVE WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE RIGHT WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY AND A NEW WHEEL WAS INSTALLED. THE LEFT WHEEL HAD WORN DOWN INTO THE AXLE AND NEW WHEEL COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY INSTALLED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE UNITED AIRLINES SERVICE CENTER HANGER WHERE MAINTENANCE AND ENGINEERING BEGAN WORK ON IT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY MAINTENANCE AND ENGINEERING FOR OTHER DAMAGE OF WHICH LITTLE WAS NOTED OTHER THAN TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND AXLE ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FOR INSPECTION AND PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBER ANTI-ROTATION LUGS AND THE SHOCK STRUT UPPER SUPPORT FITTING WERE NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED DURING PREVIOUS MAINTENANCE TO THE LANDING GEAR STRUT ASSEMBLY. IT ALSO APPEARED THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY ASSEMBLED DURING ITS PREVIOUS OVERHAUL OR MAINTENANCE WHILE THE AIRCRAFT UNDERWENT A HEAVY MAINTENANCE CHECK AT THE (MAE) MOBILE AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, MOBILE ALABAMA, REPAIR STATION. THEREFORE IT APPEARS THAT THE IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER DURING PREVIOUS MAINTENANCE LED TO ITS IMPROPER INSTALLATION ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SHOCK STRUT ASSEMBLY. IN ADDITION ALL OF THE DAMAGED NOSE LANDING GEAR COMPONENTS AND THOSE THAT WERE SUSPECT WERE REPLACED AND QUARANTINED AS PART OF THE UNITED AIRLINES INVESTIGATION. THESE COMPONENTS WERE AS FOLLOWS: THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND AXLE ASSEMBLY, SHOCK STRUT UPPER SUPPORT UNIT, STEERING SERVO CONTROL VALVE, LEFT AND RIGHT NOSE STEERING FEEDBACK SENSORS, BRAKE SYSTEM CONTROL UNIT (BSCU) AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLIES. ALL OF THE REPLACED PARTS WERE SENT TO THE UNITED AIRLINES SHOPS IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND EVALUATION AS PART OF UNITED AIRLINES OWN CONTINUING INVESTIGATION. THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND AXLE ASSEMBLY WAS DISASSEMBLED FOR A DETAILED ANALYSIS AT THE UNITED AIRLINES SAN FRANCISCO MAINTENANCE SHOP ON DECEMBER 4, 2002. THE (SFOCMO) SAN FRANCISCO CERTIFICATE MANAGEMENT OFFICE A-320 PROGRAM MANAGER, MR. TONY CAMPBELL AND INSPECTOR WALTER BEARDON AS WELL AS PAMELA SULLIVAN OF THE NTSB AND JOHN MCCOY OF UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT SAFETY WERE PRESENT TO WITNESS THE DISASSEMBLY OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER UNIT ASSEMBLY. THOSE PRESENT DURING THE DISASSEMBLY OF THE UNIT CONCLUDED THAT IT HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED DURING ITS LAST REASSEMBLY AND THAT THE JOB INSTRUCTION CARDS FROM THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL WERE INADEQUATE. THESE ISSUES WILL BE RESOLVED BY MR. TONY CAMPBELL OF THE SFOCMO.

Detail

Primary Flight Type:

SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER

Secondary Flight Type:

PASSENGERS

Type of Operation:

AIR CARRIER/COMMERCIAL

Registration Nbr:

804UA

Total Aboard:

Fatalities:

Injuries:

Landing Gear:

RETRACT TRICYCLE

Aircraft Weight Class:

OVER 12500 LBS

Engine Make:

Engine Model:

Engine Group:

Number of Engines:

Engine Type:

Environmental/Operations Info

Primary Flight Conditions:

VISUAL FLIGHT RULES

Secondary Flight Conditions:

WEATHER NOT A FACTOR

Wind Direction(deg):

Wind Speed(mph):

Visibility(mi.):

Visibility Restrictions:

DRIZZLE

Light Condition:

DAY

Flight Plan Filed:

INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES

Approach Type:

Pilot In Command

Pilot Certificates:

AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

Pilot Rating:

AIRPLANE SINGLE, MULTI-ENGINE LAND

Pilot Qualification:

Flight Time Total Hours:

Total in Make/Model:

Total in Last 90 days:

Total in last 90 days Make/Model:

END REPORT