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An MD80 was released from a service check and on first flight was unable to retract the nose landing gear; and returned to the departure airport. Subsequent check discovered water contamination in nose landing gear shock strut.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 724327 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200701 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| ASRS Report | 724327 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : tooling performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On aircraft I worked card as I have several times in the past; and all was normal on the aircraft nose gear. Card is the nose gear servicing card and does not require teardown of gear. Aircraft air interrupted due to nlg not retracting; gear was serviced and swung normal.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the failure of the nose landing gear to retract was water contamination of the shock strut fluid. This is one of several incidents of fluid contamination affecting the nose landing gear and is somewhat of a mystery of where and how the water is getting into the strut fluid. The job card worked prior to flight did not require strut piston removal only greasing external fittings and rod end links. All stations that service shock struts were required to check all servicing units for contamination and only one station reported any possible contamination.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 WAS RELEASED FROM A SERVICE CHECK AND ON FIRST FLT WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR; AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT. SUBSEQUENT CHECK DISCOVERED WATER CONTAMINATION IN NOSE LNDG GEAR SHOCK STRUT.
Narrative: ON ACFT I WORKED CARD AS I HAVE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST; AND ALL WAS NORMAL ON THE ACFT NOSE GEAR. CARD IS THE NOSE GEAR SERVICING CARD AND DOES NOT REQUIRE TEARDOWN OF GEAR. ACFT AIR INTERRUPTED DUE TO NLG NOT RETRACTING; GEAR WAS SERVICED AND SWUNG NORMAL.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR TO RETRACT WAS WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE SHOCK STRUT FLUID. THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF FLUID CONTAMINATION AFFECTING THE NOSE LNDG GEAR AND IS SOMEWHAT OF A MYSTERY OF WHERE AND HOW THE WATER IS GETTING INTO THE STRUT FLUID. THE JOB CARD WORKED PRIOR TO FLT DID NOT REQUIRE STRUT PISTON REMOVAL ONLY GREASING EXTERNAL FITTINGS AND ROD END LINKS. ALL STATIONS THAT SERVICE SHOCK STRUTS WERE REQUIRED TO CHECK ALL SERVICING UNITS FOR CONTAMINATION AND ONLY ONE STATION REPORTED ANY POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.