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.
(-23) MD-11 enroute from frankfurt to Pope afb had a 6 foot section of flap vane l/s depart the aircraft on final approach. A px indicated he saw the section liberate approx. 2 minutes from touchdown. According to the crew, only a slight autopilot drift was noticed. The departed segment of flap vane struck the flap, the trailing edge of the flap cove, and the side of the fuselage causing minor damage. Inspection of the vane attach point revealed no visible indication of fretting, torsion or shear. The holes in the fitting had no visible signs of elongation or wear.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) MD-11 ENROUTE FROM FRANKFURT TO POPE AFB HAD A 6 FOOT SECTION OF FLAP VANE L/S DEPART THE AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH. A PX INDICATED HE SAW THE SECTION LIBERATE APPROX. 2 MINUTES FROM TOUCHDOWN. ACCORDING TO THE CREW, ONLY A SLIGHT AUTOPILOT DRIFT WAS NOTICED. THE DEPARTED SEGMENT OF FLAP VANE STRUCK THE FLAP, THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE FLAP COVE, AND THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. INSPECTION OF THE VANE ATTACH POINT REVEALED NO VISIBLE INDICATION OF FRETTING, TORSION OR SHEAR. THE HOLES IN THE FITTING HAD NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF ELONGATION OR WEAR.
Other reports on N272WA · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.