What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on Tuesday, March 17, 1998 at 2231 local, a B727-22, operated by federal express, took off from the Rochester international airport bound for mem. During the takeoff roll, the crew noticed the #4 anti-skid light flickering. After rotation, the light came on steady. The roc tower notified the crew of the loss of a wheel at this point and the crew decided to proceed to mem, where an uneventful landing was accomplished. The lost wheel, #4 main, struck an unoccupied deicing vehicle parked on the tarmac. The inflated tire hit on the driver's side at the intersection of the door and fender and vent cowl, slightly damaging said parts and smashing the outside mirror. The wheel came to rest in this area. Examination of the aircraft at mem revealed that the axle nut and spacer were still attached to the axle. The axle sleeve showed damage and was changed. The #3 wheel was changed due to overload condition. Inspection of the aircraft showed no collateral damage, only an isolated dent of the trailing edge of the flying door that may have been a pre-existing condition. The wheel was examined by Mr. Mike himber, federal express engineer, at mem and the situation is as follows. The inner and outer bearing cups were still installed, but the outside cup had been turned blue and metal melted into it. There was scoring on the inboard hub outer diameter. The wheel, s/n 7390, assy #65-72761-93, had 210 landings since the last overhaul. During the overhaul, the inboard and outboard wheel bearing cups were replaced with new cups of the correct part number. The hubs were ultrasonically inspected at this overhaul. The bearing's part numbers were also verified as being correct and the bearings were repacked. The wheel was installed on the aircraft in November 1997. After receipt of the engineer's report on 3/30/98, the only addition is that all concur that this was an isolated event of failure of the outer bearing race. This failure allowed the wheel to migrate over the axle nut spacer and thus depart the aircraft. This incident is considered closed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1998 AT 2231 LOCAL, A B727-22, OPERATED BY FEDERAL EXPRESS, TOOK OFF FROM THE ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BOUND FOR MEM. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE CREW NOTICED THE #4 ANTI-SKID LIGHT FLICKERING. AFTER ROTATION, THE LIGHT CAME ON STEADY. THE ROC TOWER NOTIFIED THE CREW OF THE LOSS OF A WHEEL AT THIS POINT AND THE CREW DECIDED TO PROCEED TO MEM, WHERE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE LOST WHEEL, #4 MAIN, STRUCK AN UNOCCUPIED DEICING VEHICLE PARKED ON THE TARMAC. THE INFLATED TIRE HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE DOOR AND FENDER AND VENT COWL, SLIGHTLY DAMAGING SAID PARTS AND SMASHING THE OUTSIDE MIRROR. THE WHEEL CAME TO REST IN THIS AREA. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT MEM REVEALED THAT THE AXLE NUT AND SPACER WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE AXLE. THE AXLE SLEEVE SHOWED DAMAGE AND WAS CHANGED. THE #3 WHEEL WAS CHANGED DUE TO OVERLOAD CONDITION. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE, ONLY AN ISOLATED DENT OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE FLYING DOOR THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. THE WHEEL WAS EXAMINED BY MR. MIKE HIMBER, FEDERAL EXPRESS ENGINEER, AT MEM AND THE SITUATION IS AS FOLLOWS. THE INNER AND OUTER BEARING CUPS WERE STILL INSTALLED, BUT THE OUTSIDE CUP HAD BEEN TURNED BLUE AND METAL MELTED INTO IT. THERE WAS SCORING ON THE INBOARD HUB OUTER DIAMETER. THE WHEEL, S/N 7390, ASSY #65-72761-93, HAD 210 LANDINGS SINCE THE LAST OVERHAUL. DURING THE OVERHAUL, THE INBOARD AND OUTBOARD WHEEL BEARING CUPS WERE REPLACED WITH NEW CUPS OF THE CORRECT PART NUMBER. THE HUBS WERE ULTRASONICALLY INSPECTED AT THIS OVERHAUL. THE BEARING'S PART NUMBERS WERE ALSO VERIFIED AS BEING CORRECT AND THE BEARINGS WERE REPACKED. THE WHEEL WAS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT IN NOVEMBER 1997. AFTER RECEIPT OF THE ENGINEER'S REPORT ON 3/30/98, THE ONLY ADDITION IS THAT ALL CONCUR THAT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT OF FAILURE OF THE OUTER BEARING RACE. THIS FAILURE ALLOWED THE WHEEL TO MIGRATE OVER THE AXLE NUT SPACER AND THUS DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.
Other reports on N193FE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.