Narrative:

Airfield was sighted at 16 DME. On ILS runway 35C localizer from 12 DME to 10 DME, aircraft encountered moderate hail of marble size while in VMC conditions. Aircraft radar was on 10 mi range, 5-6 degrees up to avoid ground clutter. Speed 180 KTS, altitude 4000 ft MSL. No precipitation was indicated on radar. After exiting hail area, ATC was advised. Approach continued normal. Gear were lowered at 1800 ft AGL, before landing checklist accomplished. Amber gear door open light remained illuminated. Light was noted, however, only 90 seconds remained until touchdown. Captain evaluated situation, made decision not to go around because of potential engine damage from hail. Landing was accomplished normally with no indication of gear door strike. Aircraft was slowed to taxi speed and taxied 300-400 yards to gate. After arrival at gate, the aircraft was examined for hail damage. None was found. Left main gear found to be down and damaged upon landing. Linkage to gear door sequencing valve was not connected, causing door to remain open. Final thoughts: captain could have declared an emergency to have fire and rescue standing by. Checklist should have been run after landing and a visual inspection of door made before taxi in. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this MD88 captain said that the failure of the door to properly open was caused by a fastener (nut) that backed off because it was not safety wired. This then allowed the door linkage to separate from the hydraulic sequencing valve actuator and simply contact the surface as the aircraft slowed to taxi speed. The door had to be changed. If the captain had known of the actual door position, he said that he would not have taxied in until the door was secured. He did admit that he should have stopped for an inspection before taxiing in. He now agrees that the door would probably not have had to be changed if he had done things properly. There was no other damage to the aircraft. The company required the captain to attend a short refresher course on the gear and hydraulics and pass an oral given by a designee and an aci.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD88 FLC RUNS THROUGH A HAIL STORM DURING AN APCH AND AFTER EXITING THE HAIL THE LNDG WAS LOWERED. A GEAR DOOR OPEN LIGHT WAS NOTED AND AFTER LNDG THE L GEAR DOOR WAS DISCOVERED TO BE SCRAPING THE SURFACE.

Narrative: AIRFIELD WAS SIGHTED AT 16 DME. ON ILS RWY 35C LOC FROM 12 DME TO 10 DME, ACFT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE HAIL OF MARBLE SIZE WHILE IN VMC CONDITIONS. ACFT RADAR WAS ON 10 MI RANGE, 5-6 DEGS UP TO AVOID GND CLUTTER. SPD 180 KTS, ALT 4000 FT MSL. NO PRECIP WAS INDICATED ON RADAR. AFTER EXITING HAIL AREA, ATC WAS ADVISED. APCH CONTINUED NORMAL. GEAR WERE LOWERED AT 1800 FT AGL, BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED. AMBER GEAR DOOR OPEN LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. LIGHT WAS NOTED, HOWEVER, ONLY 90 SECONDS REMAINED UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. CAPT EVALUATED SIT, MADE DECISION NOT TO GAR BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL ENG DAMAGE FROM HAIL. LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED NORMALLY WITH NO INDICATION OF GEAR DOOR STRIKE. ACFT WAS SLOWED TO TAXI SPD AND TAXIED 300-400 YARDS TO GATE. AFTER ARR AT GATE, THE ACFT WAS EXAMINED FOR HAIL DAMAGE. NONE WAS FOUND. L MAIN GEAR FOUND TO BE DOWN AND DAMAGED UPON LNDG. LINKAGE TO GEAR DOOR SEQUENCING VALVE WAS NOT CONNECTED, CAUSING DOOR TO REMAIN OPEN. FINAL THOUGHTS: CAPT COULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER TO HAVE FIRE AND RESCUE STANDING BY. CHKLIST SHOULD HAVE BEEN RUN AFTER LNDG AND A VISUAL INSPECTION OF DOOR MADE BEFORE TAXI IN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS MD88 CAPT SAID THAT THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR TO PROPERLY OPEN WAS CAUSED BY A FASTENER (NUT) THAT BACKED OFF BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFETY WIRED. THIS THEN ALLOWED THE DOOR LINKAGE TO SEPARATE FROM THE HYD SEQUENCING VALVE ACTUATOR AND SIMPLY CONTACT THE SURFACE AS THE ACFT SLOWED TO TAXI SPD. THE DOOR HAD TO BE CHANGED. IF THE CAPT HAD KNOWN OF THE ACTUAL DOOR POS, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE TAXIED IN UNTIL THE DOOR WAS SECURED. HE DID ADMIT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED FOR AN INSPECTION BEFORE TAXIING IN. HE NOW AGREES THAT THE DOOR WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE HAD TO BE CHANGED IF HE HAD DONE THINGS PROPERLY. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE COMPANY REQUIRED THE CAPT TO ATTEND A SHORT REFRESHER COURSE ON THE GEAR AND HYDS AND PASS AN ORAL GIVEN BY A DESIGNEE AND AN ACI.

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.