Aircraft equipment breakage in-flight.

Attributes
ACN	294710
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zme
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	294710
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 162 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 885
ASRS Report	294993
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While on initial climb out of mem en route to iad, the aircraft experienced a loud bang and a noticeable vibration that seemed to come from under the cockpit area. This occurred at approximately 16000-17000 ft. IAS was 330 KTS. The airspeed was slowed to 280 KTS and the vibration decreased to a minimum, all system were checked and indicated normal. The crew thought we had hit a bird or duck around the radome or nose gear area. The aircraft was flying ok and after checking everything out we were climbing through FL260 and continued to a planned FL330 at a reduced climb speed. After leveling off at FL330, we noticed cruise EPR higher than that planned for mach .80. The aircraft was slightly out of trim with minor buffeting and vibrations. We called (company) via VHF and advised them of our situation and our intentions to continue to iad, unless they wanted us to return mem. Maintenance suggested via operations for us to cycle gear handle to the up position, but I advised that we had already tried this, with no apparent effects. Cruise fuel flow was higher than planned, but we calculated that we had sufficient fuel to continue to destination, with planned reserve and alternate fuel. We continued on to iad cruising at a reduced mach number, to keep vibrations at a minimum. Descent and approach were also accomplished at a slower than normal speed. An uneventful landing was made in visual conditions at iad on runway 1L. After the aircraft was parked on our ramp at iad, damage was visible to the l-hand outer gear door and a portion of the underside of the wing adjacent to the gear door. The Z bar and attach mechanisms were missing. I called the duty officer, and flight safety in memphis, advising them of the situation. Supplemental information from acn 294776: the problem appeared to have been caused by structural failure of the bar that holds the gear door to the gear strut. During preflight inspection, I had checked the affected gear and noticed no apparent problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP BREAKAGE INFLT.

Narrative: WHILE ON INITIAL CLBOUT OF MEM ENRTE TO IAD, THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A LOUD BANG AND A NOTICEABLE VIBRATION THAT SEEMED TO COME FROM UNDER THE COCKPIT AREA. THIS OCCURRED AT APPROX 16000-17000 FT. IAS WAS 330 KTS. THE AIRSPD WAS SLOWED TO 280 KTS AND THE VIBRATION DECREASED TO A MINIMUM, ALL SYS WERE CHKED AND INDICATED NORMAL. THE CREW THOUGHT WE HAD HIT A BIRD OR DUCK AROUND THE RADOME OR NOSE GEAR AREA. THE ACFT WAS FLYING OK AND AFTER CHKING EVERYTHING OUT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL260 AND CONTINUED TO A PLANNED FL330 AT A REDUCED CLB SPD. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT FL330, WE NOTICED CRUISE EPR HIGHER THAN THAT PLANNED FOR MACH .80. THE ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF TRIM WITH MINOR BUFFETING AND VIBRATIONS. WE CALLED (COMPANY) VIA VHF AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR SIT AND OUR INTENTIONS TO CONTINUE TO IAD, UNLESS THEY WANTED US TO RETURN MEM. MAINT SUGGESTED VIA OPS FOR US TO CYCLE GEAR HANDLE TO THE UP POS, BUT I ADVISED THAT WE HAD ALREADY TRIED THIS, WITH NO APPARENT EFFECTS. CRUISE FUEL FLOW WAS HIGHER THAN PLANNED, BUT WE CALCULATED THAT WE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO CONTINUE TO DEST, WITH PLANNED RESERVE AND ALTERNATE FUEL. WE CONTINUED ON TO IAD CRUISING AT A REDUCED MACH NUMBER, TO KEEP VIBRATIONS AT A MINIMUM. DSCNT AND APCH WERE ALSO ACCOMPLISHED AT A SLOWER THAN NORMAL SPD. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS AT IAD ON RWY 1L. AFTER THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON OUR RAMP AT IAD, DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE TO THE L-HAND OUTER GEAR DOOR AND A PORTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING ADJACENT TO THE GEAR DOOR. THE Z BAR AND ATTACH MECHANISMS WERE MISSING. I CALLED THE DUTY OFFICER, AND FLT SAFETY IN MEMPHIS, ADVISING THEM OF THE SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294776: THE PROB APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE BAR THAT HOLDS THE GEAR DOOR TO THE GEAR STRUT. DURING PREFLT INSPECTION, I HAD CHKED THE AFFECTED GEAR AND NOTICED NO APPARENT PROB.

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.