Medium large transport aircraft landing encountered sand and gravel when reversing engines resulting...

Attributes
ACN	388815
Time
Date	199712
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : det
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 18700 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	388815
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Det city tower reported dry runway. On landing touchdown and rollout with normal reverse thrusts, both (2) engines ingested large amount of sand and gravel causing damage and jammed flight flaps/controls and damaged fan blades. Gravel inspection found large accumulation of sand and gravel on runway that had been reported 'cleared and sweeped' by airport authority/authorized. Ingestion caused vapor and smoke/dust to envelop aircraft cabin and cockpit on clearing runway. Recognized smell as non smoke and did not evacuate/evacuation aircraft. Made PA to passenger and crew and confirmed sand and gravel visually on taxi back. Det tower made call, 'air carrier X, are you ok? Air carrier X, are you ok?' replied ok and then tower replied, 'all I could see was sand and dust.' told tower that reversers had kicked up large amounts of contaminants on runway. At gate, noted engine damage and trailing edge flap aircraft left would not retract. Inspected large amounts of sand gravel in wheel wells, leading edge flap/slat cavities and wheel rims. Subsequent damage report for engines estimated over $1,000,000 united states dollars and aircraft OTS for 5 days. Airline ground management had idented sand/gavel as not to specifications. Day before airport authority/authorized assured that sand/gravel had been used up and cleared from runway (swept). First flight landing next morning (dec/xx/97) damage occurred. Aircraft landing after my flight reported damage as well.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT LNDG ENCOUNTERED SAND AND GRAVEL WHEN REVERSING ENGS RESULTING IN MAJOR DAMAGE TO ENGS, FLAPS AND CTLS. ARPT HAD BEEN RPTED AS CLRED AND SWEEPED.

Narrative: DET CITY TWR RPTED DRY RWY. ON LNDG TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT WITH NORMAL REVERSE THRUSTS, BOTH (2) ENGS INGESTED LARGE AMOUNT OF SAND AND GRAVEL CAUSING DAMAGE AND JAMMED FLT FLAPS/CTLS AND DAMAGED FAN BLADES. GRAVEL INSPECTION FOUND LARGE ACCUMULATION OF SAND AND GRAVEL ON RWY THAT HAD BEEN RPTED 'CLRED AND SWEEPED' BY ARPT AUTH. INGESTION CAUSED VAPOR AND SMOKE/DUST TO ENVELOP ACFT CABIN AND COCKPIT ON CLRING RWY. RECOGNIZED SMELL AS NON SMOKE AND DID NOT EVAC ACFT. MADE PA TO PAX AND CREW AND CONFIRMED SAND AND GRAVEL VISUALLY ON TAXI BACK. DET TWR MADE CALL, 'ACR X, ARE YOU OK? ACR X, ARE YOU OK?' REPLIED OK AND THEN TWR REPLIED, 'ALL I COULD SEE WAS SAND AND DUST.' TOLD TWR THAT REVERSERS HAD KICKED UP LARGE AMOUNTS OF CONTAMINANTS ON RWY. AT GATE, NOTED ENG DAMAGE AND TRAILING EDGE FLAP ACFT L WOULD NOT RETRACT. INSPECTED LARGE AMOUNTS OF SAND GRAVEL IN WHEEL WELLS, LEADING EDGE FLAP/SLAT CAVITIES AND WHEEL RIMS. SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE RPT FOR ENGS ESTIMATED OVER $1,000,000 UNITED STATES DOLLARS AND ACFT OTS FOR 5 DAYS. AIRLINE GND MGMNT HAD IDENTED SAND/GAVEL AS NOT TO SPECS. DAY BEFORE ARPT AUTH ASSURED THAT SAND/GRAVEL HAD BEEN USED UP AND CLRED FROM RWY (SWEPT). FIRST FLT LNDG NEXT MORNING (DEC/XX/97) DAMAGE OCCURRED. ACFT LNDG AFTER MY FLT RPTED DAMAGE AS WELL.

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.

Medium large transport aircraft landing encountered sand and gravel when reversing engines resulting in major damage to engines, flaps and controls. Airport had been reported as cleared and sweeped.