ACFT EQUIP PROB L MAIN GEAR EXTENSION CYLINDER BROKE AWAY FROM ACFT STRUCTURE.

Narrative

WHILE ON LOC RWY 14R; 15 MI FROM RWY; THE LNDG GEAR WAS LOWERED. AT THE TIME THE HANDLE WAS LOWERED; A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND THE L GEAR EXTENDED IMMEDIATELY. AT THIS TIME THE FE ANNOUNCED THE #3 HYD SYS WAS LOSING FLUID. THE APCH WAS CONTINUED AND THE LNDG AND TAXI IN WERE NORMAL. THE EXTENSION; RETRACTION HYD CYLINDER ON L MAIN GEAR HAD BROKEN THE MOUNT WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. I WAS TOLD THERE IS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE TO STRENGTHEN THIS AREA. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS DONE OR NOT. 2 PAX WERE HIT FROM FALLING CEILING PANELS BUT RECEIVED NO INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE DC10-10. THE FAILURE OF THE EXTENSION STRUT WAS SO VIOLENT THAT CEILING PANELS WERE DROPPED AND A SIDEWALL PANEL WAS TWISTED LOOSE. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT THE FLT DECK CREW THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THE NOSE GEAR; NOT TO THE MAIN GEAR 34 SEAT ROWS BACK. THE ACR REPAIRED THE ACFT AT ORD. A MECH AT ORD TOLD THE RPTR THAT HE HAD SEEN THE SAME PROB WITH ACFT IN HIS FLEET. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT.