A B727 FLC HEARS A LOUD BANG ON TKOF. THEY DISCOVER THAT THEY HAVE LOST THEIR NOSEWHEEL DOORS. THE ACFT SUFFERED SOME ASSOCIATED DAMAGE. RETURN LAND PERFORMED.
Synopsis
A B727 FLC HEARS A LOUD BANG ON TKOF. THEY DISCOVER THAT THEY HAVE LOST THEIR NOSEWHEEL DOORS. THE ACFT SUFFERED SOME ASSOCIATED DAMAGE. RETURN LAND PERFORMED.
Narrative
ON TKOF FROM TPA; AT GEAR RETRACTION; WE HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL. WE HAD A NOSE GEAR RED DOOR UNSAFE LIGHT ON THE FORWARD INST PANEL. WE TOLD TPA TWR WE WOULD LIKE TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT MSL AND RETURN FOR LNDG. THE TWR TOLD US SOMEONE RPTED SEEING SOMETHING FALL OFF OUR ACFT AT TKOF. WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND ASKED TO DUMP FUEL. FOLLOWING THE ABNORMAL GEAR RETRACTION CHKLIST; WE LOWERED THE GEAR AND GOT 3 DOWN AND LOCKED GEAR LIGHTS; BUT STILL HAD THE RED NOSE GEAR DOOR LIGHTS. WE RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO 5 DEGS; KEPT THE AIRSPD AT 180 KTS; COMPLETED THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST; DID THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST; BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND ASKED THEM TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG AND POSSIBLE EVAC. WE MADE 2 PA'S TO THE PAX TO INFORM THEM OF WHAT WE WERE DOING AND ASSURE THEM OF THEIR SAFETY. WE REQUESTED RWY 36L (THE LONGEST); EMER EQUIP AND COMPANY MAINT (TO PIN THE GEAR AND CHK FOR DAMAGE). AFTER DUMPING DOWN TO LNDG WT WE MADE A NORMAL; SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE STOPPED ON THE RWY AND HAD MAINT PIN THE GEAR AND CHK FOR DAMAGE AFTER WHICH THEY CLRED US TO TAXI TO THE GATE. UPON EXAMINING THE ACFT; WE FOUND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE GONE. THE L LOWER PITOT PROBE WAS MISSING AND THE R NOSE GEAR TIRE WAS FLAT; CAUSED BY A LARGE CUT. THE #3 L LEADING EDGE SLAT HAD 2 LARGE DENTS WITH A CRACK IN THE SKIN. THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE FOUND ON THE ARPT AND RETURNED TO MAINT. THIS ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RETURNED TO OP AFTER A MAINT LETTER CHK; OBVIOUSLY SOME QUALITY ASSURANCE WAS NEEDED.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.