What happened
During the takeoff phase of flight, the nose gear taxi light became detached from the nose landing gear. This separation occurred because the aluminum support bracket failed.
Following the failure, debris from the nose gear taxi light assembly was ingested by both engines. This ingestion resulted in damage to the fan sections of the engines.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure of the component manufactured by Grimes Aerospace Company. Analysis of the service history revealed that the aluminum support bracket was prone to cracking. This cracking was caused by impact or stress from the nose gear tow bar during various towing operations.
To address this issue, Grimes began offering a stainless steel support bracket in June 1992, which provides greater resistance to damage compared to the original aluminum version. The transition to the stainless steel component was documented via Grimes Service Bulletins in 1992 and 1993, as well as a Boeing Service Letter issued in 1994.