19940201024789I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Doug DC-9-31 · Indianapolis, IN · February 1, 1994

Date
February 1, 1994 · 12:15 local
Place
Indianapolis, IN
Airport
Indianapolis International
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
USAA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N950VJ
Reported as
Doug DC931
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: potable water line froze and then broke causing water to leak down on the control cables that actuate the landing gear, flap, and brake systems. Water then froze, resulting in the inability to operate these systems normally airworthiness directive 93-13-07 which installs a water drain system in the slant pressure panels had been complied with but was ineffective due to the sound proofing blankets obstructing the drain areas. On 2/1/94 usair flight 1732 scheduled from pit to sbn diverted to ind when it was discovered that the flaps would not extend or retract past 15 degrees and the landing gear would not extend normally. Crew declared an emergency and used emergency procedures to extend the landing gear. After the aircraft landed, capt had to "stand" on the brakes in order for the system to work. Firewall thrust reversers were used to help stop the aircraft. The aircraft was stopped on the runway with approx 800 feet remaining. There were no injuries to passengers or crew and the aircraft sustained minor damage. Initial investigation revealed that the control cables that actuate the flap, brake, and landing gear systems were covered with ice. Further investigation revealed that the potable water lines froze and then ruptured, allowing water to drain on the control cables and then freeze. AD 93-13-07 regarding the installation of a water system drain had been complied with, but the drain was not effective due to the sound proofing blanket that is installed over the drains. In addition to the above, maintenance inspection revealed that approximately 4 inches of water was trapped by the sound proofing in the drain area.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: POTABLE WATER LINE FROZE AND THEN BROKE CAUSING WATER TO LEAK DOWN ON THE CONTROL CABLES THAT ACTUATE THE LANDING GEAR, FLAP, AND BRAKE SYSTEMS. WATER THEN FROZE, RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO OPERATE THESE SYSTEMS NORMALLY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 93-13-07 WHICH INSTALLS A WATER DRAIN SYSTEM IN THE SLANT PRESSURE PANELS HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH BUT WAS INEFFECTIVE DUE TO THE SOUND PROOFING BLANKETS OBSTRUCTING THE DRAIN AREAS. ON 2/1/94 USAIR FLIGHT 1732 SCHEDULED FROM PIT TO SBN DIVERTED TO IND WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FLAPS WOULD NOT EXTEND OR RETRACT PAST 15 DEGREES AND THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND NORMALLY. CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND USED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT LANDED, CAPT HAD TO "STAND" ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK. FIREWALL THRUST REVERSERS WERE USED TO HELP STOP THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY WITH APPROX 800 FEET REMAINING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS OR CREW AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. INITIAL INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CONTROL CABLES THAT ACTUATE THE FLAP, BRAKE, AND LANDING GEAR SYSTEMS WERE COVERED WITH ICE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE POTABLE WATER LINES FROZE AND THEN RUPTURED, ALLOWING WATER TO DRAIN ON THE CONTROL CABLES AND THEN FREEZE. AD 93-13-07 REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF A WATER SYSTEM DRAIN HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH, BUT THE DRAIN WAS NOT EFFECTIVE DUE TO THE SOUND PROOFING BLANKET THAT IS INSTALLED OVER THE DRAINS. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, MAINTENANCE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES OF WATER WAS TRAPPED BY THE SOUND PROOFING IN THE DRAIN AREA.