20031001029949I

(-23) On the 1 October 2003 planet airways flight 41 (originally given as department of justice flight 41) a Boeing 727-200 registration number N69741 landed at o'Hare international airport (ord) on runway 22R, upon landing the left main tires and wheels failed at 011722Z. There were 101 passengers (prisoners in handcuffs) and 24 crew (including the guards) exited via the aft stairs and the forward and aft right doors using the escape slides, no reported injuries. O'Hare flight standards district office dispatched two airworthiness inspectors to ord's runway 22R. The inspectors arrived at the aircraft while the Chicago fire department was cleaning up the fire and debris that occurred after aircraft N69741 had landed. Because of the damage to the left main tires the aircraft could not be moved off of runway 22R. The city of Chicago contacted united airlines (ual) to provide emergency maintenance support to replace the left main tire and tow the aircraft off of runway 22R. The airworthiness inspectors met with the flight crew and obtained their certificate numbers and current medical information. The flight crew told the inspectors aircraft N69741 is dry leased from planet airways, 650 sw 34th street, suite 314, fort lauderdale, Florida, to the department of justice, united states marshals service, Oklahoma city, Oklahoma. The justice department used the aircraft to transport federal prisoners. The justice department operates aircraft N69741 under the code of federal regulations 14, part 91. The inspectors learned aircraft N69741 is a public aircraft as defined in the united states code title 49, section 40102. The inspectors met with the planet airwarys flight mechanic who was on board the aircraft during landing. The inspectors also took photographs of the damaged aircraft and checked the certificate of the flight mechanic. The inspectors found damage to the left main landing gear, both left brakes, the left outboard anti-skid transducer and hubcap, the left main landing gear door, the left inboard flap assembly, the left inboard speed brakes, the right outboard main tire and the right rear (R2) door hinge. The extensive inspection and repairs of aircraft N69741 took place in the delta airlines maintenance hangar located at o'Hare international airport. Two planet airways mechanics and a contracted delta airlines team sent from atlanta, Georgia accomplished the repairs. The following is a summary of maintenance that took place while the aircraft was in the delta hangar: the left main landing gear was rebuilt, the left main brakes were replaced, the left anti-skid transducer and hubcup was replaced, the left main landing gear door was replaced, the left inboard flap assembly was repaired, the left inboard speed brake was replaced, all tires were replaced, the right rear door hinge was repaired and new escape slides installed at R1 and R2 doors. The airworthiness inspectors monitored the repairs taking place in the delta hangar from 1 October through 20 October 2003. On 20 October 2003 planet airways flew N69741 from o'Hare international airport to Oklahoma city, Oklahoma. The root cause of this incident could not be clearly associated with any aircraft component or system malfunction. The air traffic controller's (ATC) cassette tape and photographs of aircraft N69741 are in the custody of the reporting inspector. As of 28 October, the united states justice department has not accepted the aircraft back in service.