What happened
On June 6, 2008, at approximately 18:06 UTC, a British Aerospace ATP, registration CS-TGX, operated by SATA, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Porto Santo to Funchal. During the takeoff roll, the flight crew experienced intense vibrations through the wheels, leading the pilots to suspect a possible tire burst.
Upon landing at Funchal International Airport, maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft. The inspection revealed that the bearing of the outer wheel rim on the left main landing gear had completely disintegrated. This failure caused secondary damage to the brake unit and the landing gear strut itself. Following the incident, the rim, brake unit, and tire were replaced in Funchable, allowing the aircraft to continue to its base in Ponta Delgada, where the main landing gear strut was subsequently replaced.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation focused on the physical condition of the components involved. SATA's Maintenance and Engineering Directorate (DME) examined the removed components, specifically rim AHA2122. The analysis of the rim and the destroyed bearing revealed distinct signs of localized overheating. The investigation established that the failure of the bearing caused the wheel to rotate incorrectly, which subsequently damaged the braking assembly and the landing gear strut.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure of the wheel bearings on the outer wheel of the left main landing gear.
- The bearing failure resulted in localized overheating, which led to the total destruction of the bearing components.
- The improper rotation of the wheel following the bearing failure caused consequential damage to the brake unit and the landing gear strut.