What happened
On December 3, 2000, a Ryanair Boeing 737-204, registration EI-CJH, was taxiing toward Runway 28 at Dublin Airport for a scheduled flight to Paris. As the aircraft entered the runway, the flight crew heard a loud bang and experienced difficulty steering. The crew suspected a tire puncture and requested to return to the departure stand. Upon arrival, ground personnel discovered that the right nose wheel had completely detached from the aircraft.
During the incident, another aircraft approaching for landing on the same runway observed the detached wheel and axle on the runway surface. This aircraft had to perform an overshoot to avoid the debris. The runway was subsequently closed for a safety inspection, which recovered the wheel, axle, a bearing, and a cover plate.
There were 81 passengers and 5 crew members on board at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The investigation
The AAIU examined the failed nose undercarriage leg and the separated components. Metallurgical analysis of the fracture surface revealed that a crack had originated at the bottom outer surface of the axle. The investigation focused on the maintenance history of the component, which had undergone several shop visits in various facilities across Europe and Canada.
Investigators found that while the aircraft was maintained according to schedule, the lack of detailed records from recent maintenance visits made it difficult to pinpoint exactly when the damage occurred. The investigation also ruled out a heavy landing as a contributing factor, as the flight data recorder showed no evidence of such an event.