19961218043239I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 727-232 · Chicago, IL · December 18, 1996

Date
December 18, 1996 · 06:32 local
Place
Chicago, IL
Airport
Chicago-O Hare International
Phase of flight
To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
CALA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N77780
Reported as
Boeing 727232
People aboard
3
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: received an occurrence notice on 12-18-96 by fax from the regional control center. The notice stated that "Continental airlines flight 770, a B-727 landed on the runway 32L at 181232Z and stopped on the runway due to a bolt broke on the nose wheel steering. The runway was closed and later reopened at 181255Z. No reported delays." A follow-up investigation of this occurrence was conducted on 12-19-96 and the following information and facts were noted: Continental airlines flight 770 aborted takeoff on runway 32 left due to extreme nose wheel vibrations and did not land as noted on the original occurrence report. The aircraft, N77780 was towed from the runway back to the gate for a maintenance inspection and repairs. Continental airlines mechanics conducted an inspection and noted that the left nose gear tire had some side wall damage and the following other items were damaged: ground shift rod, torque link apex pin, taxi light harness and its support bracket. Maintenance replaced both tires, the ground shift rod, taxi light harness and bracket, and the apex pin. During this investigation, the Continental airlines ord station manager stated that they (Continental airlines) had conducted an investigation of the incident and determined that the nose gear torque link apex pin had been improperly installed by the ramp person during the aircraft push back which led to its falling off during the takeoff roll and causing the above noted damage to the aircraft. The responsible individual has been suspended for 1 day without pay and received retraining in this area. All other Continental ramp workers have been made aware of the importance of the proper installation of the nose gear apex pins on the B-727. Supervisors have been told to be aware of the possible retraining requirements for those ramp personnel that transfer from the international terminal back to the domestic because the responsible ramp worker in this case had just been reassigned from the international and claimed to have been unsure on how to install the apex pin.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: RECEIVED AN OCCURRENCE NOTICE ON 12-18-96 BY FAX FROM THE REGIONAL CONTROL CENTER. THE NOTICE STATED THAT "CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FLIGHT 770, A B-727 LANDED ON THE RUNWAY 32L AT 181232Z AND STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY DUE TO A BOLT BROKE ON THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING. THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED AND LATER REOPENED AT 181255Z. NO REPORTED DELAYS." A FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION OF THIS OCCURRENCE WAS CONDUCTED ON 12-19-96 AND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND FACTS WERE NOTED: CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FLIGHT 770 ABORTED TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 32 LEFT DUE TO EXTREME NOSE WHEEL VIBRATIONS AND DID NOT LAND AS NOTED ON THE ORIGINAL OCCURRENCE REPORT. THE AIRCRAFT, N77780 WAS TOWED FROM THE RUNWAY BACK TO THE GATE FOR A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION AND REPAIRS. CONTINENTAL AIRLINES MECHANICS CONDUCTED AN INSPECTION AND NOTED THAT THE LEFT NOSE GEAR TIRE HAD SOME SIDE WALL DAMAGE AND THE FOLLOWING OTHER ITEMS WERE DAMAGED: GROUND SHIFT ROD, TORQUE LINK APEX PIN, TAXI LIGHT HARNESS AND ITS SUPPORT BRACKET. MAINTENANCE REPLACED BOTH TIRES, THE GROUND SHIFT ROD, TAXI LIGHT HARNESS AND BRACKET, AND THE APEX PIN. DURING THIS INVESTIGATION, THE CONTINENTAL AIRLINES ORD STATION MANAGER STATED THAT THEY (CONTINENTAL AIRLINES) HAD CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT AND DETERMINED THAT THE NOSE GEAR TORQUE LINK APEX PIN HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BY THE RAMP PERSON DURING THE AIRCRAFT PUSH BACK WHICH LED TO ITS FALLING OFF DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND CAUSING THE ABOVE NOTED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR 1 DAY WITHOUT PAY AND RECEIVED RETRAINING IN THIS AREA. ALL OTHER CONTINENTAL RAMP WORKERS HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE NOSE GEAR APEX PINS ON THE B-727. SUPERVISORS HAVE BEEN TOLD TO BE AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE RETRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE RAMP PERSONNEL THAT TRANSFER FROM THE INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL BACK TO THE DOMESTIC BECAUSE THE RESPONSIBLE RAMP WORKER IN THIS CASE HAD JUST BEEN REASSIGNED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL AND CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN UNSURE ON HOW TO INSTALL THE APEX PIN.

Other reports on N77780 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.