A DC8-62 after 2 aborted takeoffs, due to abnormal forward fuselage noise, a high speed taxi test wi...

Attributes
ACN	458233
Time
Date	199912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 62
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : student technician : powerplant technician : airframe
ASRS Report	458233
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 231 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 10500
ASRS Report	457552
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : rejected takeoff flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On dec/wed/99, we were schedule to depart on a flight to bogota, colombia (skbo). We blocked out on time and taxied to runway 9L for a departure. We had to abort the takeoff due to a loud noise in the cockpit along with heavy vibrations. We returned to the ramp and wrote the item in the logbook. It took maintenance quite a while to release the airplane again, but they did so after almost 6 hours of waiting. They changed both nosewheel tires and sent us on our way. We attempted the takeoff again but had to abort again with the same noise occurring at about 70 KTS. We told the company that we were coming back to the ramp. I am not sure who suggested it, but it was decided to do a high speed taxi check with a mechanic aboard. He boarded the aircraft and we attempted the check, but the noise did not go off. We were going to try again, but we felt the brakes getting hot, so the captain asked if we could clear the runway. He was told to taxi down the runway to the ramp. He then said that he could feel the brakes getting worse and asked to clear immediately. We did, but shortly after the tower told us that we had a fire on the left gear. We called for the fire equipment and I evacuate/evacuationed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the noise heard by the crew from the forward fuselage area was definitely abnormal on both takeoff attempts. The reporter said later, entries in the logbook indicated the fix was resolved with parts replacement in the nose gear ground shift mechanism. The reporter stated when the tower alerted the crew of the left main gear fire the reporter evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft by the escape rope with a fire extinguisher incurring an ankle sprain. The reporter said the fire was extinguished by the fire department. The reporter stated the aircraft was OTS for 4 brake and tire changes and the reported abnormal noise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-62 AFTER 2 ABORTED TKOFS, DUE TO ABNORMAL FORWARD FUSELAGE NOISE, A HIGH SPD TAXI TEST WITH A TECHNICIAN ABOARD WAS ATTEMPTED TO ISOLATE THE NOISE WHICH RESULTED IN A L MAIN GEAR BRAKE AND TIRE FIRE.

Narrative: ON DEC/WED/99, WE WERE SCHEDULE TO DEPART ON A FLT TO BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (SKBO). WE BLOCKED OUT ON TIME AND TAXIED TO RWY 9L FOR A DEP. WE HAD TO ABORT THE TKOF DUE TO A LOUD NOISE IN THE COCKPIT ALONG WITH HVY VIBRATIONS. WE RETURNED TO THE RAMP AND WROTE THE ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK. IT TOOK MAINT QUITE A WHILE TO RELEASE THE AIRPLANE AGAIN, BUT THEY DID SO AFTER ALMOST 6 HRS OF WAITING. THEY CHANGED BOTH NOSEWHEEL TIRES AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. WE ATTEMPTED THE TKOF AGAIN BUT HAD TO ABORT AGAIN WITH THE SAME NOISE OCCURRING AT ABOUT 70 KTS. WE TOLD THE COMPANY THAT WE WERE COMING BACK TO THE RAMP. I AM NOT SURE WHO SUGGESTED IT, BUT IT WAS DECIDED TO DO A HIGH SPD TAXI CHK WITH A MECH ABOARD. HE BOARDED THE ACFT AND WE ATTEMPTED THE CHK, BUT THE NOISE DID NOT GO OFF. WE WERE GOING TO TRY AGAIN, BUT WE FELT THE BRAKES GETTING HOT, SO THE CAPT ASKED IF WE COULD CLR THE RWY. HE WAS TOLD TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY TO THE RAMP. HE THEN SAID THAT HE COULD FEEL THE BRAKES GETTING WORSE AND ASKED TO CLR IMMEDIATELY. WE DID, BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE HAD A FIRE ON THE L GEAR. WE CALLED FOR THE FIRE EQUIP AND I EVACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE NOISE HEARD BY THE CREW FROM THE FORWARD FUSELAGE AREA WAS DEFINITELY ABNORMAL ON BOTH TKOF ATTEMPTS. THE RPTR SAID LATER, ENTRIES IN THE LOGBOOK INDICATED THE FIX WAS RESOLVED WITH PARTS REPLACEMENT IN THE NOSE GEAR GND SHIFT MECHANISM. THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE TWR ALERTED THE CREW OF THE L MAIN GEAR FIRE THE RPTR EVACED THE ACFT BY THE ESCAPE ROPE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER INCURRING AN ANKLE SPRAIN. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPT. THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS OTS FOR 4 BRAKE AND TIRE CHANGES AND THE RPTED ABNORMAL NOISE.

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.

A DC8-62 after 2 aborted takeoffs, due to abnormal forward fuselage noise, a high speed taxi test with a technician aboard was attempted to isolate the noise which resulted in a left main gear brake and tire fire.