Incident Overview
On 10 August 2018 at 13:06 UTC, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration LV-BEG, operating a regular commercial flight from Jujuy Airport, landed at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires. After the landing roll, while exiting runway 13 via taxiway 1, the aircraft experienced a brake lock on the outer wheel of the left main landing gear, causing it to stop on the taxiway. All 6 crew members and 151 passengers evacuated the aircraft using normal means without incident and were transported to the terminal by company buses. Airport operations were suspended due to the proximity of the aircraft to the runway and resumed after the aircraft was removed. The incident occurred during daytime in good weather conditions.
Investigation
The Junta de Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación Civil (JIAAC) investigated the incident. Upon arrival, the aircraft was stationary on taxiway 1. Disassembly of the left main landing gear outer wheel brake assembly revealed that a temperature deflector from the brake pack had detached and lodged between two brake discs. The operator confirmed that the brake system had been inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. A post-incident runway inspection found no foreign objects or debris, and taxiway and runway inspection records from before the incident showed no deviations related to the cause.
Findings
The detached deflector likely resulted from vibrations during taxi, takeoff, or landing, or abnormal contact with the runway, causing it to interfere with normal brake operation. However, no factual evidence was found to definitively confirm this hypothesis. The investigation determined that the brake lock was a service difficulty requiring corrective maintenance, and no latent contributing or conditioning factors were identified. No changes to preventive or predictive maintenance procedures were recommended.
Analysis and Conclusion
The JIAAC concluded that the blockage of the brakes was due to the failure of a brake system component, which was to be addressed through corrective maintenance. The incident did not result in any damage to the aircraft or injuries to occupants.