What happened
During the descent toward Fort Lauderdale, the flight crew initiated an in-flight test of an alternate brake system as instructed by pre-departure paperwork. The First Officer read the procedures while the Captain performed the tasks. During this process, the Captain noted a pressure discrepancy, observing 2,100 psi on the left side compared to the expected 2,500 psi on the right. After performing troubleshooting steps and returning the system to normal, the crew recorded the finding in the maintenance log.
Upon landing on runway 27, the aircraft began to decelerate following a proper touchdown. The Captain questioned the First Officer regarding manual braking, as the pilot flying was not applying brakes. Shortly after, air traffic control informed the crew that ground equipment was being moved due to visible smoke and fire. The crew executed the emergency evacuation checklist, deployed the slides, and exited the aircraft.
An observer in another aircraft noted that the tire marks on the runway appeared as though the brakes had locked. Subsequent examination of runway 27 Right revealed four sets of heavy skid marks originating from the touchdown point and continuing to the aircraft's final position. The right main landing gear touched down approximately 1,200 feet from the threshold, with a total skid distance of 2,383 feet. The left main landing gear touchdown occurred roughly 81 feet further down the runway.
The investigation
Investigation of the Airbus A300-600 revealed that all eight main landing gear tires had blown, deflated, and disintegrated. The damage was limited to the tire sides in contact with the runway; no flat spots or damage were found on the opposite sides of the tires. All eight wheel assemblies showed symmetrical wear of approximately 10 percent. Damage was also identified on all eight brakes, wheel speed transducer shafts, and brake fans, though the bogie beams remained undamaged.
A Built In Test Equipment (BITE) test performed by maintenance personnel on the Braking and Steering Control Unit (BSCU) yielded 12 fault codes. To investigate, Airbus conducted a simulation flight in France using an A300-600 with the landing gear extended and parking brake set, which successfully reproduced the same 12 fault codes. However, post-incident testing of the actual aircraft's brake system components showed no evidence of component failure or malfunction.