A FOKKER 100 WAS DISPATCHED WITH 1 MAIN WHEEL FASTENER BROKEN ON A MAIN WHEEL.

Narrative

AT GATE PRIOR TO DEP; FO ADVISED THAT 1 LUG NUT WAS MISSING ON 1 MAIN WHEEL. HE MENTIONED IT IN PASSING; AND THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS OFTEN ON THIS ACFT TYPE. AS I AM NEW ON THE PLANE; I ACCEPTED THAT CASUAL REMARK AND SAID WE'D TAKE CARE OF IT AFTER THE NEXT LEG. ON DISCUSSING WITH THE MECH AT THE NEXT STOP; HE SAID WE SHOULDN'T FLY WITH MISSING LUG NUTS; EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ABOUT 20 HOLDING THE WHEEL ON; AS THEY ARE THROUGH-BOLTS; AND WITHOUT A NUT THE BOLT COULD BACK OUT AND DO DAMAGE. AFTER THE EDUCATION ON LUG NUTS BY THE MECH; I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE SIT CORRECTED PRIOR TO FLT. THE FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY I WAS LULLED INTO; WAS ALSO CAUSED BY MY THINKING THE WHEEL BOLTS WERE TAPPED STUDS; LIKE A CAR; AND NOT THROUGH-BOLTS. I GUESS A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN BE DANGEROUS. AS IT TURNED OUT; NO DAMAGE WAS DONE; THE TIRE REPLACED; AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR TRIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE IS NO REAL MAINT HISTORY OF THESE WHEEL HALF ATTACHMENT BOLTS BREAKING AT ANY ABNORMAL FREQUENCY. THE RPTR HAS SEEN ONLY 1 OTHER INCIDENT AND THIS WAS A WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK AND DID NOT WITNESS THE EVENT. THE RPTR STATED AN OCCASIONAL BOLT MAY BREAK BUT IT IS STILL A RARE INCIDENT.