Hydraulic System Failure Due to Line Rupture During Gear Retraction

Casualties unknown • San Juan, PR, US

An aircraft experienced a loss of its 'A' hydraulic system after a left main gear door up line ruptured during the landing gear retraction process.

What happened

During the retraction of the landing gear, the 'A' hydraulic system was lost. The failure occurred when the left main gear door up line ruptured at a point where it had been subjected to chafing from the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).

In response to the failure, the captain ordered the dumping of 30,000 pounds of fuel, followed by an attempt to manually extend the landing gear. The flight engineer attempted to perform the manual extension but was unable to get the right main gear to extend. The captain instructed the flight engineer to check the position of the main landing gear through the cabin view ports; however, the flight engineer could not locate these ports and returned to the cockpit.

The captain subsequently ordered the fuel to be dumped until it reached a minimum level. An approach and landing were then conducted with the right main gear in a retracted position.

The investigation

Following the landing, the aircraft was raised to inspect the landing gear. Upon inspection, the right main landing gear was found to be stowed on the uplock in its normal position. The gear was then successfully extended using standard manual extension procedures. Investigators found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction within the right main gear itself.

Probable cause

The rupture of the left main gear door up line caused by chafing against the APU, resulting in the loss of the 'A' hydraulic system.

All Boeing 727-200 accidents →

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1992-02-09 Boeing 727-214A accident near San Juan, PR?

An aircraft experienced a loss of its 'A' hydraulic system after a left main gear door up line ruptured during the landing gear retraction process.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1992-02-09 involved a Boeing 727-214A, registration N752US, operated by Usair, Inc., at San Juan, PR.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The rupture of the left main gear door up line caused by chafing against the APU, resulting in the loss of the 'A' hydraulic system.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001211X14150. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

Loading the flight search…