# Incident 19970704029029I: Doug DC861, Miami, FL, July 4, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 4, 1997, 21:55 local time
- Place: Miami, FL
- Airport: Miami International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: FXLA
- Location: 25.7954° N, 80.2901° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MIAMI INTL (MIA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.7954&lon=-80.2901&mi=10
- Aircraft: N27UA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N27UA-1998-01-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-61 (registry code 302195B, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-8-61) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG DC861
- Reported engine: PWA JT3D3B
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 21,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 180 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97IA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97IA206) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970704029029I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON JULY 4, 1997, AT ABOUT 2155 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-8-61, N27UA, REGISTERED TO ARGO AIR ASSOCIATES, OPERATED BY FINE AIRLINES, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 121 NONSCHEDULED INTERNATIONAL CARGO FLIGHT, FOUND A CRACKED RIGHT MAIN LANDING CYLINDER ASSEMBLY AFTER LANDING AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT-RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND, FIRST OFFICER, AND FLIGHT ENGINEER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SANTO DOMINGO, ABOUT 3 HOURS 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS 25,699 POUNDS BELOW LANDING WEIGHT. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SHOCK STRUT ASSEMBLY HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 20,874 HOURS. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CYLINDER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE BOEING DOUGLAS PRODUCTS DIVISION FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. ACCORDING TO BOEING DOUGLAS PRODUCT DIVISION, THE FAILURE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR CYLINDER OCCURRED BY STRESS CORROSION CRACKING WHICH INITIATED AT THE THREADED PORTION OF THE LOWER END ALONG THE FIRST AND SECOND FULL, UPPER, INTERNAL THREAD ROOTS, ABOUT 0.85 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CYLINDER. THE CADMIUM PLATING IN THE CORROSION AREAS WAS SACRIFICIALLY DEPLETED. THIS DEPLETION OF CADMIUM PLATING MADE THE BASE METAL SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. NO MATERIAL OR PROCESSING DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE MATERIALS AND PROCESSING ENGINEERING LABORATORY REPORT NO. LR-15773. MR. RICHARD MCCALLMAN, CHIEF INSPECTOR, FINE AIRLINES, INC., AUTHORIZED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CYLINDER TO BE DISPOSED OF LOCALLY BY BOEING DOUGLAS PRODUCTS DIVISION, ON DECEMBER 10, 1997.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA97IA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97IA206), Jul 5, 1997: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61 (N27UA), Miami, FL, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: failure of the right main landing gear cylinder due to stress corrosion.

## Other reports on N27UA (1)

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

- [Accident 19970807021309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970807021309A), Aug 7, 1997: Doug DC861 (N27UA), Miami, FL, Destroyed, 5 fatal. Aircraft crashed into a field and a highway on takeoff. (.4): on August 7, 1997, at 1236 eastern daylight time, a Douglas DC-8-61, N27UA, operated by fine…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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