America West Airbus Nosewheel Failure
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Europe
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
America West Airbus A320 Nose gear Failure
FOX News had some footage of an America West Airbus A-320 lying on its folded nose gear at Phoenix (PHX) airport. Any more details?
Link to CNN including picture at:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TRAVEL/NEWS/...pse/index.html
Link to CNN including picture at:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TRAVEL/NEWS/...pse/index.html
Last edited by 320DRIVER; 29th Aug 2002 at 09:24.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looks like it was just taxiing off the north runway, 26R is it?
try www.12news.com they are pretty up to date.
try www.12news.com they are pretty up to date.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Europe
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Clearer picture from the FAA.
************************************************************ ********************
** Report created 8/29/02 Record 1 **
************************************************************ ********************
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: AWE794 Make/Model: A320 Description: A-320
Date: 08/28/2002 Time: 1843
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: PHOENIX State: AZ Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AMERICA WEST ACFT AFTER LANDING RWY 8, WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL
CONTROL AND EXITED THE RWY INTO THE DIRT, ACFT NOSE GEAR SHEARED OFF, BOTH
ENGINES WERE DAMAGED, 150 PASSENGERS, 5 CREW EVACUATED VIA SLIDES, THREE
PASSENGERS WITH MINOR INJURIES FROM SLIDES, PHOENIX, AZ
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 5 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 150 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 3 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: WIND 090 14KTS VIS10M SKT9000FT BKN25 32/17 2978
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase: Landing Operation: Air Carrier
Departed: HOUSTON, TX Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: PHOENIX, AZ Flt Plan: UNK Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNKN
FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ (WP07) Entry date: 08/29/2002
************************************************************ ********************
** Report created 8/29/02 Record 1 **
************************************************************ ********************
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: AWE794 Make/Model: A320 Description: A-320
Date: 08/28/2002 Time: 1843
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: PHOENIX State: AZ Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AMERICA WEST ACFT AFTER LANDING RWY 8, WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL
CONTROL AND EXITED THE RWY INTO THE DIRT, ACFT NOSE GEAR SHEARED OFF, BOTH
ENGINES WERE DAMAGED, 150 PASSENGERS, 5 CREW EVACUATED VIA SLIDES, THREE
PASSENGERS WITH MINOR INJURIES FROM SLIDES, PHOENIX, AZ
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 5 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 150 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 3 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: WIND 090 14KTS VIS10M SKT9000FT BKN25 32/17 2978
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase: Landing Operation: Air Carrier
Departed: HOUSTON, TX Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: PHOENIX, AZ Flt Plan: UNK Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNKN
FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ (WP07) Entry date: 08/29/2002
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lost directional control? Is this common on the A320? Are there any other known incidents of this nature.
The dirt is very hard in Phoenix so its no wonder the gear sheared off. Must have come off the runway at high speed though to cause that damage!
The dirt is very hard in Phoenix so its no wonder the gear sheared off. Must have come off the runway at high speed though to cause that damage!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Europe
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Certainly not common. With the risk of being flamed for speculation, WX (crosswind etc.) does not appear to be a factor.
There were some previous failure modes where the nosewheel rotated in the air but usually, rudder control is sufficient to keep the aircraft on the runway after landing, even if the nosewheel rim tends to get "chewed".
In this case, the investigation should be quite straightforward and hopefully we will have the definite answer.
There were some previous failure modes where the nosewheel rotated in the air but usually, rudder control is sufficient to keep the aircraft on the runway after landing, even if the nosewheel rim tends to get "chewed".
In this case, the investigation should be quite straightforward and hopefully we will have the definite answer.
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: OBBI
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ABU DHABI About five years ago A4OEM left the runway 31 on take off, loss of directional control, the nose gear was pushed up into the flight deck, the apu detached, and the main spar broke. Numerous injuries, but no fatalities. The accident report was never released (suprise, suprise!!).
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Far East
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Reference the Abu Dhabi accident, the problem was that the pilot elected to take-off in excessive crosswind. Aparently the tower wind was OK but a report from a Company 767 immediately prior to the take off indicated an excess crosswind component. The aircraft did not get airborne but departed the runway at relatively high speed and bumped its way across about 1000meters of rough ground before being stopped by an embankment. When I landed later that day the aircraft looked very dismal and workers were painting over the Company logu's with white paint. The aircraft was written off. For memory, the only injury was the Captain.
Reference the America West problem, there has been no info as to what the status of the aircraft was before landing. BSCU is one option but that computer can normally be reset. There are other possibilities which can disable nose wheel steering, eg Gravity gear extension & Green hydraulic failure. It may not be failure of the NWS, instead it maybe that normal braking was inoperative and they were landing with Alternate brake system with or without antiskid. The A320 brakes are very powerful and in this situation the brakes are very touchy and many pilots have difficulty maintaining steady directional control.
The 320 rudder is very powerful and as 320DRIVER said can normally control most failures. The only thing that can overpower it is the brakes as the speed reduces.
All will come out quickly I should think, lets wait and see.
Reference the America West problem, there has been no info as to what the status of the aircraft was before landing. BSCU is one option but that computer can normally be reset. There are other possibilities which can disable nose wheel steering, eg Gravity gear extension & Green hydraulic failure. It may not be failure of the NWS, instead it maybe that normal braking was inoperative and they were landing with Alternate brake system with or without antiskid. The A320 brakes are very powerful and in this situation the brakes are very touchy and many pilots have difficulty maintaining steady directional control.
The 320 rudder is very powerful and as 320DRIVER said can normally control most failures. The only thing that can overpower it is the brakes as the speed reduces.
All will come out quickly I should think, lets wait and see.
