BE303 EXT-DUB 20-11-05 in flight tech issue
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Ashbourne Co Meath Ireland
Age: 73
Posts: 470
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BE303 EXT-DUB 20-11-05 in flight tech issue
Today's BE Dash 8 400 to DUB returned to EXT after about 15 minutes with "a tech problem". I was on it, so this is first hand, not "as reported" or anything spurious like that.
Before anyone jumps on me, I'm not knocking BE, they handled it well, provided as much information to the passnegers as would normally be provided to the ground staff, gave us lunch as we were in to nearly 3 hours delay, and then got a replacement aircraft in from SAM to get us to DUB, so no gripes with the way they dealt with it.
I'm more interested in the what the
happened to the aircraft, as it was strange, and not quite as straight forward as the understandably brief in flight PA from the flight deck led us to believe.
Normal departure on time, climbed on track for DUB. About 15 minutes out, maybe a bit less, turned to probably track the airway, and during the turn, (and yes, I was looking out the window at the time because it was a beautiful clear day, and I used to fly my own twin over the same route regularly, so I was enjoying refreshing pleasant memories), the port main landing gear doors popped open, and almost immediately closed again. Only the one side actuated, and by the speed of the activation in both directions, it wasn't a free fall drop because of lack of pressure, they opened and closed very positively.
A few seconds later, the cruise climb power was reduced, and the aircraft levelled, fairly abruptly, which was probably crew response to a warning light.
Not long after, we started a turn to the east, which confirmed to me that something strange was happening, as that was the wrong way for Dublin, and shortly afterwards, we got a PA from the sharp end that "a warning light had come on, and we were returning to Exeter to get it checked out". That didn't altogether surprise me, main landing gear doors don't normally operate on their own in cruise climb.
During the descent, the starboard doors did exactly the same trick, popped open and closed almost immediately, at least twice.
We descended in a normal manner to about 3000 Ft, and continued the return to Exeter. The gear was dropped early, abut 5 miles north of the airfield, again understandable, and we then flew a very lengthy (about 8 to 10 miles) downwind and final to 08, and landed, then rolled full length, backtracked and on to stand. After a couple of minutes, we were advised that there was going to be a delay, and disembarked into the terminal. On the way off, as the flight deck door was open, I spoke with the crew and mentioned that from what I'd seen, it wasn't just a warning light as such, in that both sets of main landing gear doors had cycled several times, and they were appreciative of that information, there was no way they were going to have been able to see that event, and it may well have changed the diagnosis of what had happened.
After we'd been offlloaded, the aircraft was pushed off stand, and I think some engine power runs were carried out on the north side of the airfield, but I can't be sure if it was the same aircraft.
We were in the terminal for a while, then informed that a replacement aircraft was arriving from SAM at 12 45, and we would be departing for DUB at about 1330.
That all happened, and we got to DUB at about 14:40 on a 146.
No axe to grind with FlyBE, they dealt with it very professionally.
My interest is more specific, in that I'd like to try and find out what failed on the aircraft.
It didn't look like hydraulics, in that the door activation was asymetric, only one side at a time was mis behaving, and I don't think it was a case of the doors opening for lack of pressure, as there looked to be too much positive movement about it, and there was certainly pressure closing them. Only one side actuated at a time, and there was no movement visible of the main landing gear legs, so that suggests that the MLG control system wasn't being commanded as such. The MLG seemed to deploy normally for landing, albeit early, which I suspect was deliberate so that if for some reason it didn't do what it was supposed to, there was time to sort out alternatives, and there appeared to be no problems with braking after landing.
I don't know the Dash 8 400 systems to be able to determine if it was a computer control issue or something else, but it would be fair to say that my curiosity, both as SLF and from a professional point of view has been aroused.
Anyone know the Dash 8 400 well enough to be able to make informed comments on this one?
Thanks
Before anyone jumps on me, I'm not knocking BE, they handled it well, provided as much information to the passnegers as would normally be provided to the ground staff, gave us lunch as we were in to nearly 3 hours delay, and then got a replacement aircraft in from SAM to get us to DUB, so no gripes with the way they dealt with it.
I'm more interested in the what the
happened to the aircraft, as it was strange, and not quite as straight forward as the understandably brief in flight PA from the flight deck led us to believe.Normal departure on time, climbed on track for DUB. About 15 minutes out, maybe a bit less, turned to probably track the airway, and during the turn, (and yes, I was looking out the window at the time because it was a beautiful clear day, and I used to fly my own twin over the same route regularly, so I was enjoying refreshing pleasant memories), the port main landing gear doors popped open, and almost immediately closed again. Only the one side actuated, and by the speed of the activation in both directions, it wasn't a free fall drop because of lack of pressure, they opened and closed very positively.
A few seconds later, the cruise climb power was reduced, and the aircraft levelled, fairly abruptly, which was probably crew response to a warning light.
Not long after, we started a turn to the east, which confirmed to me that something strange was happening, as that was the wrong way for Dublin, and shortly afterwards, we got a PA from the sharp end that "a warning light had come on, and we were returning to Exeter to get it checked out". That didn't altogether surprise me, main landing gear doors don't normally operate on their own in cruise climb.
During the descent, the starboard doors did exactly the same trick, popped open and closed almost immediately, at least twice.
We descended in a normal manner to about 3000 Ft, and continued the return to Exeter. The gear was dropped early, abut 5 miles north of the airfield, again understandable, and we then flew a very lengthy (about 8 to 10 miles) downwind and final to 08, and landed, then rolled full length, backtracked and on to stand. After a couple of minutes, we were advised that there was going to be a delay, and disembarked into the terminal. On the way off, as the flight deck door was open, I spoke with the crew and mentioned that from what I'd seen, it wasn't just a warning light as such, in that both sets of main landing gear doors had cycled several times, and they were appreciative of that information, there was no way they were going to have been able to see that event, and it may well have changed the diagnosis of what had happened.
After we'd been offlloaded, the aircraft was pushed off stand, and I think some engine power runs were carried out on the north side of the airfield, but I can't be sure if it was the same aircraft.
We were in the terminal for a while, then informed that a replacement aircraft was arriving from SAM at 12 45, and we would be departing for DUB at about 1330.
That all happened, and we got to DUB at about 14:40 on a 146.
No axe to grind with FlyBE, they dealt with it very professionally.
My interest is more specific, in that I'd like to try and find out what failed on the aircraft.
It didn't look like hydraulics, in that the door activation was asymetric, only one side at a time was mis behaving, and I don't think it was a case of the doors opening for lack of pressure, as there looked to be too much positive movement about it, and there was certainly pressure closing them. Only one side actuated at a time, and there was no movement visible of the main landing gear legs, so that suggests that the MLG control system wasn't being commanded as such. The MLG seemed to deploy normally for landing, albeit early, which I suspect was deliberate so that if for some reason it didn't do what it was supposed to, there was time to sort out alternatives, and there appeared to be no problems with braking after landing.
I don't know the Dash 8 400 systems to be able to determine if it was a computer control issue or something else, but it would be fair to say that my curiosity, both as SLF and from a professional point of view has been aroused.
Anyone know the Dash 8 400 well enough to be able to make informed comments on this one?
Thanks
