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Heavy transport freighter aircraft had nose vibration after takeoff. Return land. Nose door inspected. Continued flight without incident. Next flight different flight crew same vibration.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 193969 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199110 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ont |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bur |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10200 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 193969 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Excessive noise and moderate vibration coming from nose wheel area after takeoff. Recycled gear, no help. Dumped fuel to landing weight and returned to ont. Maintenance reported our left nose gear door open upon our taxi in. Prior to our departure nose wheel doors were confirmed closed by flight engineer and captain. Maintenance inspected mechanical condition of the nose door assembly and could not find anything wrong. We refueled and again departed to our destination without incident. On the next departure of this aircraft the same situation occurred. Again dumping approximately 20000 pounds and returned to departure airport (not my flight). I cannot draw any definite conclusion from the above irregularities. However, there may be some mitigating circumstances that could be exhibited. Our company is in the midst of union contract negotiations. While safety is said to be paramount, the pressure imposed by management to clear a mechanical item can be very great. There seems to be a fine line between the assurance of safety and the intended business at hand.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HVT FREIGHTER ACFT HAD NOSE VIBRATION AFTER TKOF. RETURN LAND. NOSE DOOR INSPECTED. CONTINUED FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. NEXT FLT DIFFERENT FLC SAME VIBRATION.
Narrative: EXCESSIVE NOISE AND MODERATE VIBRATION COMING FROM NOSE WHEEL AREA AFTER TKOF. RECYCLED GEAR, NO HELP. DUMPED FUEL TO LNDG WT AND RETURNED TO ONT. MAINT RPTED OUR L NOSE GEAR DOOR OPEN UPON OUR TAXI IN. PRIOR TO OUR DEP NOSE WHEEL DOORS WERE CONFIRMED CLOSED BY FLT ENGINEER AND CAPT. MAINT INSPECTED MECHANICAL CONDITION OF THE NOSE DOOR ASSEMBLY AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. WE REFUELED AND AGAIN DEPARTED TO OUR DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE NEXT DEP OF THIS ACFT THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED. AGAIN DUMPING APPROX 20000 POUNDS AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT (NOT MY FLT). I CANNOT DRAW ANY DEFINITE CONCLUSION FROM THE ABOVE IRREGULARITIES. HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE SOME MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD BE EXHIBITED. OUR COMPANY IS IN THE MIDST OF UNION CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. WHILE SAFETY IS SAID TO BE PARAMOUNT, THE PRESSURE IMPOSED BY MGMNT TO CLR A MECHANICAL ITEM CAN BE VERY GREAT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A FINE LINE BTWN THE ASSURANCE OF SAFETY AND THE INTENDED BUSINESS AT HAND.
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.