What happened
On 20 June 2012, an Air Trast cargo flight, operating an IL-76TD with registration UP-I7625, was completing its approach to Runway 30 at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. During the descent from Kandahar, the flight crew performed standard checklists; however, during the landing phase, the aircraft's main landing gear tires suffered significant damage. Upon touchdown, the 16 main landing gear tires burst and deflated because the brakes had jammed. The incident caused the aircraft to block the runway for approximately 19 hours while crews worked to replace wheels to allow the aircraft to be towed to a maintenance facility. There were no injuries among the eight people on board.
The investigation
The GCAA AAIS investigation focused on the landing phase and the aircraft's design and airworthiness. Investigators examined the flight sequence, noting that the captain had requested idle power and the crew had extended the landing gear as part of their approach. The inquiry specifically looked into the mechanical state of the braking system and the crew's operational procedures. The investigation also reviewed the crew's communication and English language proficiency, as well as the effectiveness of the aircraft's cockpit ergonomics and the operator's training protocols.
Findings
Technical analysis established that the parking brakes were switched to the ON position during the flight prior to landing. This caused the tires to lock immediately upon touchdown, leading to the widespread deflation of the main gear tires. The investigation identified several contributing factors, including a lack of sufficient communication within the flight deck and a parking brake system that lacked adequate features to prevent or detect in-flight engagement. Furthermore, the crew's Crew Resource Management (CRM) was found to be insufficient to catch the error before the aircraft reached the runway.
Safety action
Following the findings, several safety recommendations were issued. The operator was advised to enhance CRM training, improve English language proficiency, and strengthen their quality and evaluation systems. For the Ilyushin Design Bureau, a recommendation was made to revise the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) checklists to include a specific verification item for the parking brake status during the base leg approach. Additionally, the GCAA was advised to improve regulations regarding the oversight of foreign operators.