Incident Overview
On 19 November 1998, an Airbus A340-300 operated by an airline experienced a serious incident during takeoff from Singapore. The aircraft, registered as not specified, was departing for Frankfurt when both outer tires of the right main landing gear burst. The quantity indicator for the green hydraulic system subsequently showed zero pressure, preventing normal gear retraction. The crew decided to return to Singapore and, after dumping fuel to reduce landing weight, performed a safe landing. During rollout, pressure in the blue hydraulic system also decreased, affecting braking and nosewheel steering. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway.
Flight Details
The flight was a scheduled passenger service from Singapore to Frankfurt. No injuries to persons were reported. The aircraft sustained light damage, and no third-party damage occurred.
Damage and System Failures
The initial cause was a collision with a part of the runway lighting system lying on the runway. This destroyed the two outer tires (positions #4 and #8) of the right main landing gear. Tire fragments penetrated the landing gear bay cover and damaged hydraulic lines of the green system inside the bay. Additionally, hydraulic lines of the blue system leading to the brakes were damaged, which resulted in the pressure drop observed during landing.
Investigation and Conclusions
The investigation was conducted by the airline in cooperation with the aircraft manufacturer, beginning with a damage analysis. The extent to which the investigation was extended to the origin of the obstacle (a lamp part on the runway) and whether safety measures were derived from it remains unknown. The incident was considered a borderline case for a serious incident. The official conclusion states that the incident occurred due to the collision of the aircraft with an obstacle on the runway that was not recognizable to the crew.