Hmm,
Interesting conjecture on this gentlemen. I'm wondering how the emergency lowering system for the nose gear would work, if the system hydraulics lines were "damaged", as I believe, the aux/hand pump lowering would require the integrity of the normal system pipe work (awaiting howls of derision from the ginger beers etc), I do claim age, and a diminishing knowledge of Alberts systems in my defence. I'm sure if a chain was passed around the nose leg and fed back to the freight bay, the para retrieval winch could have been used to pull it back to its locked position, though I doubt a winch was aboard that aircraft. Somehow I have a memory of a tie down point just aft of the NLG access window, under the flight deck floor, specifically for use in such an emergency, maybe my memory is in error. Perhaps Dean could enlighten us all.
Meanwhile, I offer this small snippet. On my way home from a Belize trip, we arrived for the scheduled Gander night stop and I duly set about putting our Albert to bed. We had had a long day as some pre flight engineering problems had to be fixed. So, by the time I was ready to go down to Sinbads, I was truly knackered. Imagine my surprise to see another Albert taxy in and park next to us. Now, there was an unwritten, but always respected in my experience, rule amongst GE's, you do not walk away from a mate who might have problems, so, I wandered over to see if I might be of assistance.
The GE on board was one Joe *on. They were returning from a trip to the west coast of the US and had had a bit of an experience two days before. I must say that Joe, by trade, was an engine man, so "riggering" was not his forte. In the cruise the Nav decided to make the tea and coffe order, on stepping on the galley floor his portly frame overcame the capacity of the structure to support him, and duly collapsed. After the loady had ensured that the Nav had suffered no injury, he noticed that the crew door handle had been moved to the jettison position
why the door didn't go is a mystery. The loady, being a very bright bloke decided that the door needed some chains and chock tensioning to ensure it stayed firmly closed. Joe was informed when he woke up for landing. Bloody good crew I say. Now, it turns out that Joe had asked for a new galley floor to be positioned at Gander for their arrival, his intention being to replace it. No problems with that said I, but, we have to re rig the crew door, after its jettison selection. So, some 6 hours later, his aircraft had a new galley floor, full checks on the crew door and a pressurisation check carried out to ensure its integrity. With around six hours to go to "wheels" I decided that the top bunk was my best hotel for the night, not the first occasion. Of course, the galley floor was a secondary issue, but has anyone else experience its collapse, at altitude and considered its operating the door jettison handle ?
Smudge
