Maintenance probs with AF Concorde?

[FL310]

DPA (German Press Agency) reports this evening that the ill-fated Concorde had a repaired / overhauled landing gear and that a vital metal piece (not further explained) was not installed during re-fitting. Accident investigators feel this missing part as a major contributory factor in the development of the disaster.

[gordonroxburgh]

This was reported in the BEA interim report in Jan 2001.

The feeling is that the missing part would cause the gear to skew, possibly by up to 3 degrees. this was cause excessive tyre wear over time and additional tyre heating but not a burst. It would hve been spoted aily soon when they investigated the excessive tyre wear

The running over the bit of titanium would slash and destroy any tyre.

Summary:

Discounted as not cause of accident, and not even slightly contributary. (Although I will stand corrected if thing change!!)

Gordon

[TwoTun]

gordonroxburgh, you said:
'This was reported in the BEA interim report in Jan 2001. The feeling is that the missing part would cause the gear to skew, possibly by up to 3 degrees. this was cause excessive tyre wear over time and additional tyre heating but not a burst. It would hve been spoted aily soon when they investigated the excessive tyre wear'

True, although the skew would have the effect of raising the tyre temperature a fair bit.

'The running over the bit of titanium would slash and destroy any tyre.'

Also true, for the sort of tyres that most aircraft use (cross-ply), but possibly not for the latest generation of aircraft radial tyres.

you then went on to say:
'Summary:
Discounted as not cause of accident, and not even slightly contributary. (Although I will stand corrected if thing change!!)'

The official interim report draws no such conclusions at all concerning the effect the missing spacer had on the gear and the accident. If it had, or if the final report (whenever it comes out) does suggest that the missing spacer was a contributary cause, then AF maintenance will be in the frame.

One other aspect about this missing spacer. Ignoring the weakening effects it had on the tyre, it also slewed the aircraft to the left hand side of the runway, before any engines failed. If you look at the photographs of the runway, you can clearly see the track the aircraft took before rotation.

If an engine fails on the runway, there is enough control authority in the rudder to counteract the swing towards the dead engine due to asymetric thrust. What clearly happened here was that *despite* rudder being applied, the aircraft still ended up on the left hand edge of the runway, where it took out a runway edge light, the debris of which ended up being ingested into one of the engines.

I have a feeling in my wee-wee that this missing spacer will end up playing a significant part in the cause of the crash. Maybe nobody official has commented on it because they know the likely ramifications of such a disclosure.

Just my view, you understand.

regards

[gordonroxburgh]

By the time the aircraft took out the light It would have been well off the centre line could this be more to do with the fact that 2 tyres were deflated on the left gear.

I'm sure they will be checking the QAR data (if they kept it) from the last few flight to see if there were any effects on the 3 previous flights, where the part was missing, of additional rudder use on take off that could point to this problem with the gear skewing.

Time will tell but it will not look good for AF if thier servicing is a contributary cause to the accident.

Gordon