CNN has a story today about AA problems with the MD-80 landing gear, and specifically the problems that arose on an AA MD-80 flight out of KMSP last December.
The American Airlines pilot says the plane's nose gear would not retract and he quickly began circling the Minnesota airport. But freezing temperatures and icy precipitation started to create problems inside the plane, Mayer says.
"Our windshield started to cover with ice from the bottom working its way up," he says.
"As we were running the emergency procedures, there was a pop. Everyone's ears blew out. We realized that we had lost the pressurization of the aircraft at that time."
Within minutes, Mayer managed to bring the airplane safely back to the airport. But when he inspected the exterior of the aircraft, he says the MD-80 jetliner looked like a "popsicle." The malfunctioning nose gear disabled the plane's anti-icing systems, according to Mayer, who says the wings and tail of the plane were freezing over.
This malfunction was probably unrelated to the wire bundles, but it illustrates how the media can take one dire situation and apply it generally.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/08/gri...ear/index.html