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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Attributes | |
ACN | 181588 |
Time | |
Date | 199106 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : sjd |
State Reference | FO |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
Navigation In Use | Other |
Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 |
ASRS Report | 181588 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | other |
Consequence | Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During my initial preflight inspection, I found the tailcone catwalk jammed in the up position. Maintenance was called and the problem was fixed. A small roller bearing, between the 2 fairings on the left side of the catwalk, that pushes the fwd fairing in when the catwalk raises up, popped to the wrong side of the fwd fairing. I moved the fairing by hand to simulate the raising of the catwalk and the roller popped out again. I popped it back in and raised and lowered the catwalk many times and it operated normally. The aircraft is less than 6 months old and none of the parts are worn or bent, and it is not any different than any of our other aircraft. It is my opinion that this is a poor design and this problem could easily happen on an medium large transport of this make and model at any time. Had this happened on a through flight (the tail compartment is not normally inspected on a through flight), it may have gone unnoticed, and if an emergency occurred that exit would be unusable.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FIRST OFFICER CONDUCTING WALKAROUND INSPECTION OF AN ACR MLG DISCOVERED A PROBLEM WITH THE MECHANISM OF THE TAIL CONE EMERGENCY EXIT. NOTING THAT THE ACFT IS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD, THE REPORTER ALLEGES THAT THE MECHANISM DESIGN MAY BE DEFECTIVE.
Narrative: DURING MY INITIAL PREFLT INSPECTION, I FOUND THE TAILCONE CATWALK JAMMED IN THE UP POS. MAINT WAS CALLED AND THE PROB WAS FIXED. A SMALL ROLLER BEARING, BTWN THE 2 FAIRINGS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CATWALK, THAT PUSHES THE FWD FAIRING IN WHEN THE CATWALK RAISES UP, POPPED TO THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FWD FAIRING. I MOVED THE FAIRING BY HAND TO SIMULATE THE RAISING OF THE CATWALK AND THE ROLLER POPPED OUT AGAIN. I POPPED IT BACK IN AND RAISED AND LOWERED THE CATWALK MANY TIMES AND IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE ACFT IS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD AND NONE OF THE PARTS ARE WORN OR BENT, AND IT IS NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF OUR OTHER ACFT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS IS A POOR DESIGN AND THIS PROB COULD EASILY HAPPEN ON AN MLG OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL AT ANY TIME. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A THROUGH FLT (THE TAIL COMPARTMENT IS NOT NORMALLY INSPECTED ON A THROUGH FLT), IT MAY HAVE GONE UNNOTICED, AND IF AN EMER OCCURRED THAT EXIT WOULD BE UNUSABLE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.