..wheels falling off @ REX!!!

[TBM-Legend]

Plane loses wheel after take-off
Posted Mon Jul 7, 2008 8:00am AEST

Map: Orange 2800
Regional airline Rex says passengers' safety was not threatened when a wheel fell from a plane shortly after it took off from a central western New South Wales airport yesterday.

One of the dual right-hand main wheels fell from the Saab 340 after it left the Orange airport about 2:00pm (AEST).

The plane was able to land in Sydney and the airline says none of the 30 passengers was injured.

Rex says the plane is designed to be capable of operating with one of the dual wheels and its engineers are investigating what caused the incident.

A report is being prepared for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

[pc12togo]

Thay also had one crack a windscreen out of Coober Pedy last week.

[Milt]

So it's ops normal if a wheel falls off????!!!!

I'll bet that the engineer who failed to wire lock the axle nut doesn't now think it's normal or acceptable. But then he/she is off the hook if it was an unexpected mechanical failure.

Wonder where the wheel ended up. Bouncing through Orange perhaps!

[john_tullamarine]

.. if not into a car in the carpark ... sorry, Milt .. the devil made me do it ...

[KRUSTY 34]

The jury is still out, but it looks as though it was a bearing failure. The retaining nut and pin were still in place.

Take it easy Milt. REX engineers do a fantastic, if sometimes thankless job!

[bilbert]

Rex said that he plane is designed to operate with one of the dual wheels missing?

Memo Rex Management - Cost saving suggestion ...

[BURNIE]

Was the ORG Aircraft a WT

[marty1468]

I witnessed a main wheel come off a 737 taking off from Dhahran in Saudi Arabia about 10 years ago. Obviously it was a no biggy cos the plane contiunued to its destination. Was interesting to watch it bouncing down the tarmac though and almost into a hangar full of F-15's :ok:

[TLAW]

What's the point in turning back? Either way you're still going to be missing one wheel.

[Peter Fanelli]

Has REx imported some French former Concorde Engineers?

[UFLA]

You are absolutely right, TLAW.

There is something in that for all of us. Especially with the NSW health system the way it is at the moment, but that is another story.

There is no way Orange Base Hospital or the local Ambulance Service would cope with up to 40 stretcher patients out of a Saab going in. If the aircraft can fly safely (indeed, how do you know?) you are far better off going to a large centre with appropraite hospitals and sufficient transport and fire fighting resources etc.

While in PNG I had an oil pump fail on me in an Islander out of Kokoda. Following determining the performance of the relatively lightly loaded aircraft I elected to carry on to Popondetta where we had at least some chance.

Airline Operations Manuals and QRMs etc. have a lot of these things cut and dried these days but sometimes we are still required to make decisions. That's why we "get the big bucks"!!! :cool:

[Ultralights]

Rex crews not responding to radio calls from other pilots?..... nothing new here..

but how did the crew know the wheel had fallen off after take off? could they feel a vibration through the nosewheel steering system? is there a vis inspection window in the gear bay?

[Ramrod2]

Maybe CASA should worry a little more about this than SOC'ing crew over insignificant things like wearing ties to the SIM.

Keep up the good work Krusty!!.... You are our only hope I feel