What happened
On 13 October 2012, a regional chartered flight operated by Global Aviation Investments was preparing for departure from OR Tambo International Airport (FAOR) to Lilongwe, Malawi. The McDonnell-Douglas MD82, registration ZS-TOG, was carrying 130 passengers and 6 crew members, including an aircraft maintenance engineer, when the incident occurred during the takeoff roll on Runway 0．3L.
As the aircraft accelerated, the crew noticed the "WHEEL NOT TURNING" cockpit light flickering intermittently at approximately 80 knots. Shortly thereafter, the light remained steadily illuminated, and the left wing began to droop significantly. At a ground speed of approximately 120 knots, the pilot aborted the takeoff. As the aircraft decelerated, the left-hand main landing gear assemblies made heavy contact with the runway surface, causing the tires to disintegrate and triggering a fire in the left-hand wheel and brake assemblies. Fire and Rescue Services responded immediately to extinguish the flames. While the aircraft sustained significant structural damage, there were no injuries to the passengers or crew.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the physical wreckage. The investigation focused on the left-hand main landing gear, which had undergone significant damage. Inspection of the runway revealed heavy skid marks where the wheel rims had scraped the asphalt. The investigation also reviewed flight data from the FDR and CVR, which confirmed the sequence of the light illumination and the subsequent lateral roll of the aircraft due to tire failure.
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the catastrophic failure originated from the No. 1 main wheel bearings. The investigation established that the incorrect installation and torque procedures used during the replacement of the No. 1 main landing gear wheel assembly the previous day were the primary cause. Specifically, it is believed that an improperly seated or under-torqued bearing caused the outboard bearing to migrate, eventually jamming the brake rotors and causing the wheel to stop rotating entirely. This stationary wheel then dragged along the runway, deflating the tire and placing extreme stress on the No. 2 wheel, which subsequently failed. The investigation also noted that vibrations felt during taxiing might have indicated that the wheel nut was not properly torqued.