Narrative:

On departure from chiang kai-shek airport, air carrier widebody transport flight was notified by taipei control of tire rubber ('FOD') on the runway and to 'check your landing gear.' since widebody transport was the last airplane to use runway 5L, the captain contacted kadena air base and inquired about a fighter visual inspection of the landing gear. Kadena approach vectored a flight of 2 fgt to intercept air carrier flight widebody transport. The captain obtained approval from fukuoka control to visually orbit (visual conditions greater than 20 NM) at FL330. Observing all speed and mach limitations, the gear was extended. One fgt made a visual inspection and gave a visual 'ok' signal to air carrier widebody transport. Unforeseen, however, air carrier widebody transport was unable to maintain FL330 with gear extended, even at rated maximum continuous thrust, so fukuoka control was advised that air carrier widebody transport was beginning a descent to a lower altitude. A gradual descent was made to approximately FL310 while the gear was being inspected. Fukuoka control possibly had to descend an air carrier to FL290 and was visibly sighted by air carrier widebody transport at approximately 10-15 NM. Air carrier flight widebody transport retracted the gear, advised fukuoka control of a climb back to FL330, and continued to an uneventful landing at destination -- osaka, japan. A supervisor at fukuoka control asked for an explanation (after the fact) and the captain of air carrier flight widebody transport gave verbal description of the problem and solution. No further request was made by ATC. Supplemental information from acn 241792: 1) communications, air to ground. 2) cockpit resource management -- veto over objections of crew without considering all available options. The captain established contact with taipei and expressed our concern about the possibility of damage to one or more of our landing gear. There appeared to be a language barrier because the only information we received from the controller was for us to check our gear. He was either unable or unwilling to find out more information about the FOD from the airport. The captain asked if kadena was still an active military installation, and he decided that he would inquire about the possibility of a visual gear inspection from one of their aircraft. The so and I disagreed with this course of action and stated so. Our destination was osaka with a nagoya alternate. Without any extended delays, we could proceed directly to tokyo which is our major station in the far east. Considering runway length and facilities, this seemed a plausible alternative to the gear being inspected at FL330. While waiting on the arrival of the fgts, we were handed off to fukuoka control. We now were crossing the 360 degree radial off kadena at approximately 195 DME and losing contact with the controller from kadena, which was our only contact with the fgts, because they were not VHF capable, only UHF. It was at this point when the captain decided to request a visual holding pattern until the fgts arrived to accomplish 2 things. First to allow the fgts to catch up faster and secondly to remain in VMC conditions. This would also be the first call to ATC informing them of what was taking place. Needless to say, ATC was quite surprised by our request and the reason for it. By the time fukuoka understood and granted their permission, contact with kadena had been lost. The fgt's inspection was uneventful with no damage observed as indicated by a thumbs up. The gear was retracted, our assigned altitude was reestablished, and we continued to osaka without further incident. Due to the nature of the problem, the captain performed the landing. A subsequent ground inspection also did not find any damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR WDB ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN ALT COULD NOT BE HELD DURING A GEAR EXTENSION EXAMINATION BY MIL FGT ACFT AT HIGH ALT.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM CHIANG KAI-SHEK ARPT, ACR WDB FLT WAS NOTIFIED BY TAIPEI CTL OF TIRE RUBBER ('FOD') ON THE RWY AND TO 'CHK YOUR LNDG GEAR.' SINCE WDB WAS THE LAST AIRPLANE TO USE RWY 5L, THE CAPT CONTACTED KADENA AIR BASE AND INQUIRED ABOUT A FIGHTER VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE LNDG GEAR. KADENA APCH VECTORED A FLT OF 2 FGT TO INTERCEPT ACR FLT WDB. THE CAPT OBTAINED APPROVAL FROM FUKUOKA CTL TO VISUALLY ORBIT (VISUAL CONDITIONS GREATER THAN 20 NM) AT FL330. OBSERVING ALL SPD AND MACH LIMITATIONS, THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED. ONE FGT MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION AND GAVE A VISUAL 'OK' SIGNAL TO ACR WDB. UNFORESEEN, HOWEVER, ACR WDB WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FL330 WITH GEAR EXTENDED, EVEN AT RATED MAX CONTINUOUS THRUST, SO FUKUOKA CTL WAS ADVISED THAT ACR WDB WAS BEGINNING A DSCNT TO A LOWER ALT. A GRADUAL DSCNT WAS MADE TO APPROX FL310 WHILE THE GEAR WAS BEING INSPECTED. FUKUOKA CTL POSSIBLY HAD TO DSND AN ACR TO FL290 AND WAS VISIBLY SIGHTED BY ACR WDB AT APPROX 10-15 NM. ACR FLT WDB RETRACTED THE GEAR, ADVISED FUKUOKA CTL OF A CLB BACK TO FL330, AND CONTINUED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT DEST -- OSAKA, JAPAN. A SUPVR AT FUKUOKA CTL ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION (AFTER THE FACT) AND THE CAPT OF ACR FLT WDB GAVE VERBAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROB AND SOLUTION. NO FURTHER REQUEST WAS MADE BY ATC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 241792: 1) COMS, AIR TO GND. 2) COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT -- VETO OVER OBJECTIONS OF CREW WITHOUT CONSIDERING ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS. THE CAPT ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH TAIPEI AND EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE TO ONE OR MORE OF OUR LNDG GEAR. THERE APPEARED TO BE A LANGUAGE BARRIER BECAUSE THE ONLY INFO WE RECEIVED FROM THE CTLR WAS FOR US TO CHK OUR GEAR. HE WAS EITHER UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ABOUT THE FOD FROM THE ARPT. THE CAPT ASKED IF KADENA WAS STILL AN ACTIVE MIL INSTALLATION, AND HE DECIDED THAT HE WOULD INQUIRE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A VISUAL GEAR INSPECTION FROM ONE OF THEIR ACFT. THE SO AND I DISAGREED WITH THIS COURSE OF ACTION AND STATED SO. OUR DEST WAS OSAKA WITH A NAGOYA ALTERNATE. WITHOUT ANY EXTENDED DELAYS, WE COULD PROCEED DIRECTLY TO TOKYO WHICH IS OUR MAJOR STATION IN THE FAR EAST. CONSIDERING RWY LENGTH AND FACILITIES, THIS SEEMED A PLAUSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE GEAR BEING INSPECTED AT FL330. WHILE WAITING ON THE ARR OF THE FGTS, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO FUKUOKA CTL. WE NOW WERE XING THE 360 DEG RADIAL OFF KADENA AT APPROX 195 DME AND LOSING CONTACT WITH THE CTLR FROM KADENA, WHICH WAS OUR ONLY CONTACT WITH THE FGTS, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT VHF CAPABLE, ONLY UHF. IT WAS AT THIS POINT WHEN THE CAPT DECIDED TO REQUEST A VISUAL HOLDING PATTERN UNTIL THE FGTS ARRIVED TO ACCOMPLISH 2 THINGS. FIRST TO ALLOW THE FGTS TO CATCH UP FASTER AND SECONDLY TO REMAIN IN VMC CONDITIONS. THIS WOULD ALSO BE THE FIRST CALL TO ATC INFORMING THEM OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, ATC WAS QUITE SURPRISED BY OUR REQUEST AND THE REASON FOR IT. BY THE TIME FUKUOKA UNDERSTOOD AND GRANTED THEIR PERMISSION, CONTACT WITH KADENA HAD BEEN LOST. THE FGT'S INSPECTION WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO DAMAGE OBSERVED AS INDICATED BY A THUMBS UP. THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, OUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS REESTABLISHED, AND WE CONTINUED TO OSAKA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROB, THE CAPT PERFORMED THE LNDG. A SUBSEQUENT GND INSPECTION ALSO DID NOT FIND ANY DAMAGE.

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.