Nose Gear Bypass Pin
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Nose Gear Bypass Pin
Can an Aircraft take off if the bypass pin is overlooked by the Ground Crew after pushback?
If so -- how would the pilot be able to steer the airplane?
If so -- how would the pilot be able to steer the airplane?
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The fun starts when the main gear pins are left in, but the steering pin removed. I've only seen a couple of instances of this over the years, mega embarrasment all round and loads of disruption due to a/c having to burn off or dump fuel/do an averweight landing (should that be overmass landing, now?), delays to other a/c & pax to provide to extra runway slots etc etc. Cost? Tens of thousands of pounds! Enjoyment to those not directly involved? Priceless!
TheOddOne
TheOddOne
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shon- the problem would be to get to the runway with the nosewheel steering locked!
As to the landing gear pins, on a 747 one night in HKG, the groundcrew changed a wheel and just used a wire coathanger to lock the undercarriage. Being hidden about 12 feet up and at night, the FE missed it on his eternal and we took off through the gap unable to raise that leg. Took an hour stooging around before landing back to discover to great embarrassment. The FE was thrashed to within and inch of his job sadly. After that, I was always VERY careful to not only check nothing in the lock, but that you can see though it AND make pretty rabbit shadows through it with your torch, then coming down the other side of the aeroplane cross over and do it again! Definitely something to be neurotic about- this can get you in big trouble in the office!
As to the landing gear pins, on a 747 one night in HKG, the groundcrew changed a wheel and just used a wire coathanger to lock the undercarriage. Being hidden about 12 feet up and at night, the FE missed it on his eternal and we took off through the gap unable to raise that leg. Took an hour stooging around before landing back to discover to great embarrassment. The FE was thrashed to within and inch of his job sadly. After that, I was always VERY careful to not only check nothing in the lock, but that you can see though it AND make pretty rabbit shadows through it with your torch, then coming down the other side of the aeroplane cross over and do it again! Definitely something to be neurotic about- this can get you in big trouble in the office!
Originally Posted by Rainboe
The FE was thrashed to within and inch of his job sadly.
"the problem would be to get to the runway with the nosewheel steering locked!"
Not really, the nose u/c can still turn, otherwise the tug would be unable to steer during pushback. Differential braking would be capable of 'castoring' the nose gear.
"So what happened to the ground engineers? A pat on the back for coming up with a cheap solution that worked really well?"
In my experience the minimum disiplinary action would be a suspension (for several days depending on circumstances) loss of pay and a loss of incremental pay rise.
When the dust settles on any incident like this, the enquiry often shows things like, lack of tooling, pressure to get the job done, interference from management IE .." get it done or it's your job" attitude, lack of good handover during shift changes, tired, cold and hungry personel etc, oh and yes sometimes people just forget.
Procedures are there for a reason, divert from them for any reason and there is a good chance you will get bitten on the a£se!
Not really, the nose u/c can still turn, otherwise the tug would be unable to steer during pushback. Differential braking would be capable of 'castoring' the nose gear.
"So what happened to the ground engineers? A pat on the back for coming up with a cheap solution that worked really well?"
In my experience the minimum disiplinary action would be a suspension (for several days depending on circumstances) loss of pay and a loss of incremental pay rise.
When the dust settles on any incident like this, the enquiry often shows things like, lack of tooling, pressure to get the job done, interference from management IE .." get it done or it's your job" attitude, lack of good handover during shift changes, tired, cold and hungry personel etc, oh and yes sometimes people just forget.
Procedures are there for a reason, divert from them for any reason and there is a good chance you will get bitten on the a£se!
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I'd never have thought of even trying to get to the runway with a castoring nosewheel and differential thrust!
Ultimately it came down to whatever the GEs did, it was still finally the F/Es responsibility to make sure there was no pin in the gearlock, and that was what he got a caning from the Headmaster for.
Ultimately it came down to whatever the GEs did, it was still finally the F/Es responsibility to make sure there was no pin in the gearlock, and that was what he got a caning from the Headmaster for.
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Only seen a 747 nose gear pin installed once in my life, then only after the aircraft came out the hangar.
I can fully understand how the F/E missed this.
A properly installed nose gear pin is visable at first glance by the red flag, remove before flight hanging down from it.
Even if this banner is missing and being so far up you have to look close.
But you still have to check.
For a piece of coat hangar to be put through in place of a pin would be easily overlooked.
Especially if it was a white coat hangar.
Had the F/E found this and reported, what would have happened to the ground engineer, probably nothing.
Kind of like putting clear tape over the static ports for washing and painting.
Hard to detect at night.
But it has happened.
Like most things that happen, always blame the crew.
As crew if we find things like this that we can see, can you imagine what is hidden that we dont see!
I can fully understand how the F/E missed this.
A properly installed nose gear pin is visable at first glance by the red flag, remove before flight hanging down from it.
Even if this banner is missing and being so far up you have to look close.
But you still have to check.
For a piece of coat hangar to be put through in place of a pin would be easily overlooked.
Especially if it was a white coat hangar.
Had the F/E found this and reported, what would have happened to the ground engineer, probably nothing.
Kind of like putting clear tape over the static ports for washing and painting.
Hard to detect at night.
But it has happened.
Like most things that happen, always blame the crew.
As crew if we find things like this that we can see, can you imagine what is hidden that we dont see!
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It was an outboard main gear with the lock about 10' off the ground and and quite obscured in the dark. The F/E would just have had a laugh with the groundcrew if he had found it, but he carried the can sadly. Dreadful practice by the groundcrew, but they do things like this, and it may be next day that you miss it 'because people don't leave things in gear locks, do they?' Always worth being aware and double checking because pilots these days do the final check of it!
