Casualties unknown

2007-10-10: Airbus Industrie A320-232 (N431UA) — United Air Lines Inc — Chicago, IL

Chicago, IL, US

On October 10, 2007, an Airbus Industrie A320-232 (registration N431UA) operated by United Air Lines Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Chicago, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The left main landing gear inboard and outboard anti-skid tachometers wiring were reversed during scheduled maintenance at a vendor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered N431UA
Aircraft registered N431UA. Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An aircraft exited the runway after landing due to asymmetric braking caused by reversed anti-skid tachometer wiring on the left main landing gear, which occurred during prior scheduled maintenance at a vendor. The aircraft sustained minor damage from striking runway lighting.

Incident Sequence

During landing, the left main landing gear exhibited asymmetric braking: the inboard wheel applied a high level of braking while the outboard wheel did not brake. This caused the aircraft to depart the runway, where it impacted runway lighting, resulting in minor damage.

Maintenance Issues

The reversal of the left main landing gear's inboard and outboard anti-skid tachometer wiring occurred during scheduled maintenance at a vendor. The vendor reported that their personnel were unaware that the built-in test equipment used did not verify cross-wiring of tachometers. A different test, specified in the aircraft maintenance manual and an operator reference document, was designed to detect such a condition but was not performed.

Post-Incident Findings

Examination of the aircraft and brake components after the incident revealed no further anomalies. The operator noted that the reference documentation for the scheduled maintenance involving the left main landing gear tachometers was unclear, and the procedure was subsequently revised.

Probable cause

The left main landing gear inboard and outboard anti-skid tachometers wiring were reversed during scheduled maintenance at a vendor.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20071023X01635. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.