Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9, registration 9V-OJF, operated by Scoot. The flight was a scheduled passenger service from Singapore Changi Airport to Incheon International Airport, Republic of Korea, via Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan. After arrival at Incheon, a new flight crew operated the return sector to Singapore via Taipei. The flight crew consisted of a Pilot-in-command (PIC) and a First Officer (FO), with the FO as pilot flying and the PIC as pilot monitoring.
History of the Incident
During pushback from parking bay 108 onto Taxiway R9, the headset man sensed resistance and briefly stopped the pushback. After resuming and turning the aircraft, the flight crew felt some vibration, which was considered not unusual during ground maneuvering. During taxi via Taxiways R9, R21, and R10, vibrations were felt on two turns. About midway along Taxiway R10, the PIC took over taxiing, after which no vibrations were felt. The FO performed the take-off, which was normal.
At top of climb, a status message "tire press sys1" appeared, and the nose wheel tyre pressure indications on the EICAS display were absent. The crew discussed possibilities including sensor fault or tyre deflation. Meanwhile, Incheon airport authority found a nose wheel and debris on Taxiways R9, R21, and R10, and alerted air traffic control. The crew was informed by Taipei Area Control Centre of a suspected tyre issue. The crew considered worst-case deflation of both nose wheels and reviewed guidance on landing with a flat tyre. The PIC performed the landing at Taoyuan International Airport, which was normal with no vibrations. After taxiing to the parking bay, ground staff reported that the left axle of the nose landing gear had sheared off and the left nose wheel was missing.
Damage to Aircraft
The left axle of the nose landing gear sheared off at the inboard location, with the inner spacer still in place. The fractured axle face showed black charred appearance between the 6 and 8 o'clock positions, indicating exposure to extreme heat. The left nose wheel assembly, together with the sheared outboard axle, was found near the turn from Taxiway R21 to Taxiway R10. Debris pieces of the wheel's inboard bearing were found along Taxiway R9; all parts except the retaining clip and some rollers were recovered. The bundle of wires for transmitting tyre pressure information was severed.
Injuries and Other Damage
There was no injury to any person. No other damage was reported.
Investigation
The occurrence was classified as an accident by the Korean Aviation and Rail Accident Investigation Board, which delegated the investigation to the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of Singapore. The TSIB determined that the occurrence should be classified as an accident. The investigation focused on the failure of the left nose wheel inboard bearing and corrosion on the bearing cup.