What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N511MJ, a Canadair crj CL-600-2C10 (CRJ700) operating as mesa airlines flight 7164 (dba untited express) departed Chicago O'Hare intn'l airport (ord) on a passenger revenue flight to indianapolis, IN. During the approach for landing, the crew received an unsafe gear indication for the lmg. Unable to resolve the problem, the crew declared an emergency and returned to land on runway 28 at ord. The aircraft touched down on the runway with the lmg still retracted and traveled down the runway on the remaining landing gear (nose, rmg) and left wing's leading edge. The aircraft came to rest approximately 15 feet left of runway centerline approximately one quarter of its length. All crew and passengers evacuated the aircraft without injury. There was no post incident fire. Examination of the body fairing seal common to the MLG inboard door indicated that the MLG door was in contact with its mating body fairing rubber seal/internal metallic stiffner. Improper positioning of the main landing gear door during rigging is believed to have resulted in exerting pressure on the seal which caused premature wear of the rubber covering the metallic stiffner, thus causing its exposure to the MLG door. This contact restricted the movement of the MLG during its extension.
As the FAA filed it
N511MJ, A CANADAIR CRJ CL-600-2C10 (CRJ700) OPERATING AS MESA AIRLINES FLIGHT 7164 (DBA UNTITED EXPRESS) DEPARTED CHICAGO O'HARE INTN'L AIRPORT (ORD) ON A PASSENGER REVENUE FLIGHT TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN. DURING THE APPROACH FOR LANDING, THE CREW RECEIVED AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION FOR THE LMG. UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28 AT ORD. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE LMG STILL RETRACTED AND TRAVELED DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE REMAINING LANDING GEAR (NOSE, RMG) AND LEFT WING'S LEADING EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF ITS LENGTH. ALL CREW AND PASSENGERS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THERE WAS NO POST INCIDENT FIRE. EXAMINATION OF THE BODY FAIRING SEAL COMMON TO THE MLG INBOARD DOOR INDICATED THAT THE MLG DOOR WAS IN CONTACT WITH ITS MATING BODY FAIRING RUBBER SEAL/INTERNAL METALLIC STIFFNER. IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DOOR DURING RIGGING IS BELIEVED TO HAVE RESULTED IN EXERTING PRESSURE ON THE SEAL WHICH CAUSED PREMATURE WEAR OF THE RUBBER COVERING THE METALLIC STIFFNER, THUS CAUSING ITS EXPOSURE TO THE MLG DOOR. THIS CONTACT RESTRICTED THE MOVEMENT OF THE MLG DURING ITS EXTENSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.