What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On Sunday 11/16/2008, piedmont airline flight 4551 (abe-phl) declared an emergency and landed on runway 27L in phl with its nose gear stuck in the wheel well. The landing was smooth and the aircraft slid approximately 500 feet from the point at which there is evidence on the runway of the nose gear doors contacting the surface. It stopped between taxiways u and y and the airport fire personnel foamed the aircraft as a precautionary measure. The passengers were evacuated through the main entry door once the fire department gave the "all clear." No injuries were reported on-scene by the 35 passengers or 3 airline crewmembers. The crew reported no abnormalities during the flight until they attempted to lower the gear (although they reported that the NLG took "several seconds longer" to retract then the main gear on departure from abe). After reporting the problem on approach in phl they spent approximately 1 hour airborne west of the airport communicating with dispatch and mcc and attempting to get the gear down through alternate and normal extension methods. The NLG alternate release handle required excessive force by the captain to move it the required 2 notches but there was no effect on the NLG position. Once the aircraft was raised off the runway with an airbag, the nose wheels were found to be jammed against the right sidewall of the wheel well. The alternate gear release was again activated, the NLG uplock could be heard releasing, but the gear did not descend until the nose wheel was pried off its contact with the sidewall. The NLG then descended smoothly with no binding and locked in place with "3 green" indicated in the cockpit with no additional input needed to the gear. The nose wheel could be smoothly turned to the left by hand but could not be turned right from a centered position. The aircraft was towed to a local hangar investigation revealed the the nose wheel steering follow-up links were sheared from their attachment spigot on the nose strut and the nose steering actuator was rotated upwards on its axis approximately 45 degrees. One of the follow-up links for the steering was found to have completely ruptured. The centering mechanism for the nose wheels was no longer attached to the lower strut which allowed the nose wheels to pivot and come to rest against the nose wheel well.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SUNDAY 11/16/2008, PIEDMONT AIRLINE FLIGHT 4551 (ABE-PHL) DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 27L IN PHL WITH ITS NOSE GEAR STUCK IN THE WHEEL WELL. THE LANDING WAS SMOOTH AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE POINT AT WHICH THERE IS EVIDENCE ON THE RUNWAY OF THE NOSE GEAR DOORS CONTACTING THE SURFACE. IT STOPPED BETWEEN TAXIWAYS U AND Y AND THE AIRPORT FIRE PERSONNEL FOAMED THE AIRCRAFT AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. THE PASSENGERS WERE EVACUATED THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR ONCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GAVE THE "ALL CLEAR." NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED ON-SCENE BY THE 35 PASSENGERS OR 3 AIRLINE CREWMEMBERS. THE CREW REPORTED NO ABNORMALITIES DURING THE FLIGHT UNTIL THEY ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR (ALTHOUGH THEY REPORTED THAT THE NLG TOOK "SEVERAL SECONDS LONGER" TO RETRACT THEN THE MAIN GEAR ON DEPARTURE FROM ABE). AFTER REPORTING THE PROBLEM ON APPROACH IN PHL THEY SPENT APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AIRBORNE WEST OF THE AIRPORT COMMUNICATING WITH DISPATCH AND MCC AND ATTEMPTING TO GET THE GEAR DOWN THROUGH ALTERNATE AND NORMAL EXTENSION METHODS. THE NLG ALTERNATE RELEASE HANDLE REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE BY THE CAPTAIN TO MOVE IT THE REQUIRED 2 NOTCHES BUT THERE WAS NO EFFECT ON THE NLG POSITION. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED OFF THE RUNWAY WITH AN AIRBAG, THE NOSE WHEELS WERE FOUND TO BE JAMMED AGAINST THE RIGHT SIDEWALL OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE ALTERNATE GEAR RELEASE WAS AGAIN ACTIVATED, THE NLG UPLOCK COULD BE HEARD RELEASING, BUT THE GEAR DID NOT DESCEND UNTIL THE NOSE WHEEL WAS PRIED OFF ITS CONTACT WITH THE SIDEWALL. THE NLG THEN DESCENDED SMOOTHLY WITH NO BINDING AND LOCKED IN PLACE WITH "3 GREEN" INDICATED IN THE COCKPIT WITH NO ADDITIONAL INPUT NEEDED TO THE GEAR. THE NOSE WHEEL COULD BE SMOOTHLY TURNED TO THE LEFT BY HAND BUT COULD NOT BE TURNED RIGHT FROM A CENTERED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL HANGAR INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING FOLLOW-UP LINKS WERE SHEARED FROM THEIR ATTACHMENT SPIGOT ON THE NOSE STRUT AND THE NOSE STEERING ACTUATOR WAS ROTATED UPWARDS ON ITS AXIS APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES. ONE OF THE FOLLOW-UP LINKS FOR THE STEERING WAS FOUND TO HAVE COMPLETELY RUPTURED. THE CENTERING MECHANISM FOR THE NOSE WHEELS WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE LOWER STRUT WHICH ALLOWED THE NOSE WHEELS TO PIVOT AND COME TO REST AGAINST THE NOSE WHEEL WELL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N326EN · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.