An A319 developed an airframe vibration after takeoff and returned to land. A mis-rigged nose gear d...

Attributes
ACN	788135
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	788135
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Return to field. Airframe vibration. The aircraft shook. Slowed aircraft. Return to field. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the airframe vibration initially felt like a nosewheel rubbing on the nose tire snubber. However; it was felt throughout the entire aircraft and the reporter who has flown DC3's; B1900's; B737's and numerous other aircraft types; felt this vibration was the most intense he has experienced and the first time that he feared for his life. When the aircraft was on the ground people were thankful. The flight that day was canceled and the reporter learned that the aircraft had been through heavy maintenance prior to this flight and that all three landing gear struts had been replaced. The post flight thinking was that one of the landing gear doors was out of rig and so maintenance concentrated on that during the night. The next day the reporter ferried the aircraft to a maintenance base and he felt that the vibration was still present but not nearly as bad as the previous day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 DEVELOPED AN AIRFRAME VIBRATION AFTER TKOF AND RETURNED TO LAND. A MIS-RIGGED NOSE GEAR DOOR WAS THE SUSPECTED CAUSE.

Narrative: RETURN TO FIELD. AIRFRAME VIBRATION. THE ACFT SHOOK. SLOWED ACFT. RETURN TO FIELD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THE AIRFRAME VIBRATION INITIALLY FELT LIKE A NOSEWHEEL RUBBING ON THE NOSE TIRE SNUBBER. HOWEVER; IT WAS FELT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT AND THE REPORTER WHO HAS FLOWN DC3'S; B1900'S; B737'S AND NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT TYPES; FELT THIS VIBRATION WAS THE MOST INTENSE HE HAS EXPERIENCED AND THE FIRST TIME THAT HE FEARED FOR HIS LIFE. WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON THE GND PEOPLE WERE THANKFUL. THE FLT THAT DAY WAS CANCELED AND THE REPORTER LEARNED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN THROUGH HEAVY MAINTENANCE PRIOR TO THIS FLT AND THAT ALL THREE LANDING GEAR STRUTS HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE POST FLT THINKING WAS THAT ONE OF THE LNDG GEAR DOORS WAS OUT OF RIG AND SO MAINTENANCE CONCENTRATED ON THAT DURING THE NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY THE REPORTER FERRIED THE ACFT TO A MAINTENANCE BASE AND HE FELT THAT THE VIBRATION WAS STILL PRESENT BUT NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS THE PREVIOUS DAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

An A319 developed an airframe vibration after takeoff and returned to land. A mis-rigged nose gear door was the suspected cause.