Significant side loading caused damage to main gear which in turn caused a tire failure. There may be wing spar involvement, if so a sad end for 701.
I flew the aircraft for Gemini.

according to univision.com (I did a basic translation)

US freighter plane suffers minos accident in Montevideo

20th of october, 2009 02:50pm ET
Montevideo, 20 oct 2009 (AFP)
A freighter plane of US freighter enterprise Centurion Cargo suffered this tuesday a "minor accident" in Carrasco airport, Montevideo´s main airport and its five crew resulted harmless , told to AFP oficials sources.

"It was a minor accident, it happened at 0300 in the morning (0500GMT), while it was landing due to the damage of the main wheel of the landing gear" said the spokeperson of the Air Force (FAU), Col. Mariano Rodrigo.

The plane "is a tri'jet MD11...."

The FAU spokeperson said that the plane is " at the moment parked in a taxiway until the causes of accident can be determined, to evaluate the damages and see if it is necessary any maintenance works"




Avión de carga de EEUU sufre accidente menor en Montevideo


20 de Octubre de 2009, 02:50pm ET
MONTEVIDEO, 20 Oct 2009 (AFP) -
Un avión de carga de la empresa estadounidense Centurion Cargo sufrió este martes un "accidente menor" en el aeropuerto de Carrasco, que sirve a Montevideo, y sus cinco tripulantes resultaron ilesos, dijeron a la AFP fuentes oficiales.

"Fue un accidente menor, ocurrido a las 03H00 de la mañana (05H00 GMT), cuando aterrizaba, debido a la rotura de la rueda principal del tren de aterrizaje", dijo el vocero de la Fuerza Aérea (FAU), coronel Mariano Rodrigo.

El aparato "es un trirreactor MD11 de la empresa Centurion Cargo de bandera estadounidense, que opera semanalmente en Montevideo", agregó Rodrigo, quien indicó que "la tripulación de cinco miembros resultó ilesa".

El vocero de la FAU dijo que el avión se encuentra "por el momento en una calle de rodaje del aeropuerto hasta que se determinen las causas, evaluar los daños y ver si debe realizarse mantenimiento".

yow/jb


Mate

Low visibility ... Non-accurate RVR.. foggy..

I´ve got a friend who has a friend... eventually.. I saw PIC´s.. Looks like .. sad to say it was her last flight.

http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/xx318/Turbofan777/md11.jpg

http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/xx318/Turbofan777/DSC09547.jpg

http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/xx318/Turbofan777/108027.jpg

Taxiing off the runway didn't help....

Is this aircraft on Centurion's ops spec? I heard they were operating it, WOA has 2,3 and 4.

Also appears that the strut took the brunt of the damage, NDT will tell but the absence of leaking fuel is a great sign for this aircraft. Even if there is structural damage, it is certainly not beyond repair.

Thanks for the great pics turbofan.

Looks like hard landing with a some lateral slip. Most likely blew a tire or two in the process. But, she is still a fine looking bird even, though looking a bit sorry for herself!!! Yep, you certainly have to be on top of things to fly this one!!!;)

http://avherald.com/img/centurion_md...o_091020_1.jpg

Like this picture the most, really shows how the gear strut bent, just hope the fluid on the grund is 5606. (likely or you would probably see fire trucks around)

I used to make runs into Montevideo often ACMI in an MD-11 for Staff and I think a few times for Lan cargo, my biggest worry used to be a birdstrike, the area may as well be called a habitat. Great catering as well, they would allways come out of the terminal with delicious hot pasta dishes.

Actually, that is a happy ending for an MD-11, the more common ending is rather unpleasant as FEDEX has found out...several times..

Local gossip is, that a patch of fog obscured the runway so that the crew never saw the runway, but never initiated a go-around and touched down without flare."

If that is the case, then one can hardly blame the plane or its design :ugh: Probably more than 200 t smashed with > 800 ft/m onto the RW. I say: Tough Bird. But that won't stop the experts here from bashing anyway :rolleyes:

Looks like the torque link that connects the truck to the strut snapped. My guess is not soo much a side load as much as a hard landing with the #7 tire failure starting the process of damage to the torque links and gear.

The skid mark seems to support my theory. You can sort of make out exactly where the tire blew if you look closely.

"Actually, that is a happy ending for an MD-11, the more common ending is rather unpleasant as FEDEX has found out...several times.."

From the looks of it, I'm surprised it wasn't a hard enough landing to break off the wing and flip it over. I would imagine there will be significant damages found along the wing attach points. It will most likely be a total, and the end of 701. :ugh:

Actually, that is a happy ending for an MD-11
cf Upside down at HK.
I'd a rather arrogant FE who used to complain if I cornered at >10kn - I had to explain the difference between FE PPL and real pilot to him - wonder what he'd have thought of this :}

If the damage was as serious as you think it is there would be significant fuel leakage.

Could have been the combination between a defect in a tire and a hard landing.

Love the fact they put the chocks in....can't see it rolling away somehow

Anyone know who previously operated this aircraft, any damage history, prior incidents?

It will most likely be a total, and the end of 701.

Repairable, I'm sure, but financially worth it, I doubt. Another one bites the dust.

GAC, VARIG was the owner from the factory cn 48434/476 (http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?cnsearch=48434/476&distinct_entry=true) .

This is no bug smasher, we are talking about a 150million dollar (ballpark hull) I understood Boeing was selling UPS the aircraft for 180 mill.

I think the right gear oleo remained in its trunions and the oleo broke - huge lateral loads would do this. Here's a high-contrast Photoshop'd detail of one of the photos from the front. A large crack can be seen just above the drag link attach point on the oleo:

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk76/batcave777/RightOleo.jpg

May be just a gear change.


If it was a huge lateral load why was it not the #4 or #8 tire to blow? I still maintain that the hard landing, blown #7 busted torque link resulted in the strut to load in the manner it snapped.

Understand Mud, after many thousands of hours driving the beast, I've seen a few things, not all of 'em pretty. Judging from the pics, would not be surprised if the wing spar has been subjected to significant axial deformation, transmitted through the main gear attach lugs.

Landing technique bears mention here, skills we all must develop through practice, training and experience. Like any other aeroplane, a basic, aircraft-specific handling knowledge is paramount, arguably the sole prerequisite for survival as a professional pilot. Perhaps the seniority system has failed us here?

NDT down time is now in order for this ship. Parting out the airplane may make more financial sense to the insurers. Engines, avionics, various bits and expensive pieces, I guess the bean counters are in charge now.

Sad end, hopefully not, to a magnificent airplane.

significant axial deformation, transmitted through the main gear attach lugs.

This damage would surely create signifant fuel leakage as was not evident from the pictures.

The wing skins are more tolerant than the spars especially the spar caps. If there was wing damage it would surely be indicated by fuel leakage especially at the "beavertail' area or the trunion area (close together). this area takes the most strain between the gear and engine also the seperation between the #2 and #3 fuel tanks areas.

I maintain my optomistic position that the gear took the brunt of the damage, wish I could bet you a beer over it!

Man about 13 years ago I tore apart a left wing of a 707!!! for a spar cap replacement after a hard landing, 3 months later did the right wing as the crew was probably out of practice.... this was Challeng Air Cargo. did not realize up untill now but CENTURION is what is left of CAC after UPS bought their operation and routes leaving them with some junky but rare DC-10-40's to start back up with. Man I love the JT-9 but the -50's and 70's were a pain in the arse.

Poor SOB's got a poor start operating the MD-11, probably got the ex GAC pilots's that did not cut the mustard for World Airways to fly 2,3 and 4...

Mud,
The last line of your post really was not necessary.
WW

Why?

They obviously landed in conditions not for-casted but below minima. Poor judgment. Besides Ezeiza is just 30 minutes away, not sure of the conditions there or if they considered it. Weather in that region is usually benign.

No worries, me thinks this bird will fly again and eventually be restored to her catIIIb glory soon. Smart but not legal (assuming Centurion had not completed the programme) would to allow her to auto land "3A" in those conditions as they committed to land anyways. Do not know if the ILS was up to the task for the rwy. These are good questions.

Never forget my first true 3B into SCL, the screens were Grey, observing the terrain mapping and visualizing our position from the countless vfr approaches we made before, watching the RA count down. First sign was the rabbit as the threshold quickly approached. Hard to trust a machine with your life... Have to respect the technology man has created, this is the conflict... Man V/S machine.

probably got the ex GAC pilots's that did not cut the mustard for World

hmmm... No ex-GAC pilots involved. As long as you are throwing dirt around. Unlike World. GAC never sent anybody to the hospital after a landing......


Accident: World Airways DC10 at Baltimore on May 6th 2009, blew nose gear tyre (http://avherald.com/h?article=4193c587)

Accident: Centurion MD11 at Montevideo on Oct 20th 2009, right main gear damage (http://avherald.com/h?article=421928fc&opt=0)

Fog,

I don't know if Muduckace has anything to do with World or not but you should know we have a lot of ex-GAC guys here (and a few on furlough from here waiting to come back being supported by our pilot group).

What Muduckace posted shows a complete lack of class (I could use other descriptions but I think they would be censored) but equally your reply is, for want of a better term, classless and not what I would have expected from your previous postings.

In future you may both want to think before posting!:=

WorldDC10

My apologies. It hit a nerve.

Fog,

World in your cited incident had a hard landing. A nose gear tire blew, tires blow all the time. My main point in experience is that world had been in operation for about 65 years and been operating MD-11's since they were first built, Hell N280 was a test tube.

Why only crew to the hospital (no injuries), suspect cabin crew not strapped in or just practice just incase they wanted to file for Workers Comp if they developed future problems?

The fact is, centurion only operating 1 MD-11 is at a loss for experience and their track record for crashing aircraft compared to the time they have been operating is much worse than world's or GAC's. I noticed a significant difference in the proficiency between WOA and GAC pilots, at the time GAC had just started operating them. No disrespect just an obvious factor ---lack of experience operating a demanding aircraft.

Bottom line is the centurion crew screwed up by flying below minimums if they were reported to them prior to landing. This resulted in a hard landing.. The reports will tell. For now rumor and speculation is why we are all here, no?

I think the only reason the gear failed was a blown #7 tire on the hard landing, maybe the tire was defective maybe pressure was not correct. The rest of the damage was a result of this. Have a drink, calm your nerves champ.

World DC-10.. I never claimed to have class, I am a self righteous jerk. Get back to work unless you have anything constructive to say other than playing nursemaid.

Yes a very happy ending. Usually the next abnormal list to read during this sort of event is the dreaded
"Wing Off Light Illuminated" :eek:

Muduckace

I think the first sentence of the last paragraph of your last post is an appropriate statement...

"we have a lot of ex-GAC guys here (and a few on furlough from here waiting to come back being supported by our pilot group)"

I pretty sure there are only 4 Gemini guy's left at World with no sings of recall.