19970405008949I

Incident

FAA incident report · Boeing 7373B7 · Pittsburgh, PA · April 5, 1997

Date: April 5, 1997 · 08:45 local
Place: Pittsburgh, PA
Airport: Greater Pittsburgh International
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: USAA
Aircraft: N523AU
Reported as: Boeing 7373B7
People aboard: 54
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: captain noticed vibrations in rudder pedals, thinking it could be wind gusts capt continued t/o. as flight climbed out, nose started moving from left/right 3-5 degrees. Capt turned yaw damper off at 1,000 ft, but a/c continued movement. At that time, crew declared emergency and fire rescue was called out. Capt made approach with 15 flaps then 25 flaps. When he had r/w made, he went to 30 degrees of flaps. All thru the approach the nose continued to move left to right. Also both auto pilots were on MEL so they were not on. The touch down was made with the same conditions of the approach.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: CAPTAIN NOTICED VIBRATIONS IN RUDDER PEDALS, THINKING IT COULD BE WIND GUSTS CAPT CONTINUED T/O. AS FLIGHT CLIMBED OUT, NOSE STARTED MOVING FROM LEFT/RIGHT 3-5 DEGREES. CAPT TURNED YAW DAMPER OFF AT 1,000 FT, BUT A/C CONTINUED MOVEMENT. AT THAT TIME, CREW DECLARED EMERGENCY AND FIRE RESCUE WAS CALLED OUT. CAPT MADE APPROACH WITH 15 FLAPS THEN 25 FLAPS. WHEN HE HAD R/W MADE, HE WENT TO 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS. ALL THRU THE APPROACH THE NOSE CONTINUED TO MOVE LEFT TO RIGHT. ALSO BOTH AUTO PILOTS WERE ON MEL SO THEY WERE NOT ON. THE TOUCH DOWN WAS MADE WITH THE SAME CONDITIONS OF THE APPROACH.