20200902020769I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Douglas DC-9 · Belleville, MI · September 2, 2020

Date
September 2, 2020 · 14:29 local
Place
Belleville, MI
Airport
Willow Run
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator
VTM
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
XA-UZJ
Reported as
Douglas DC-9
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
19,985 total10,000 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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.

On September 2, 2020 DC-9 sn 47384 registration xa-uzj aborted a takeoff from yip airport. The aircraft drifted to the right and came to rest in the grass off the side of runway. Both engines were shut down and the aircrew along with the flight mechanic exited the aircraft. Number 3 tire was found blown. The aircraft was defueled, pulled back onto the runway, and towed to a parking area on the east ramp. Tire marks on the runway show heavy braking with signs that the antilock brake system was working. There was a long black skid from #3 main. Pictures where the airplane came to rest show main wheels 1,2, and 4 were rotating but #3 was locked.

On September 3rd the pilot and first officer were interviewed and provided what they experienced. Shortly after the initiation the takeoff roll, the captain noticed the aircraft drifting to the right. They recalled no noise or anything out of the ordinary happening prior to the event. The airspeed indicator had just begun to indicate speed when the incident occurred. Nose steering could not overcome the pull and the aircraft had not yet reached sufficient speed for the rudder to become effective. The takeoff was aborted. Braking was not effective in halting the drift to the right either.

Maintenance replaced the blown #3 wheel, inspected the brakes, power washed dirt and gravel from the wheels and brakes, and lubed the gear. Nose wheel steering was tested on skid plates. Taxi tests, high speed taxi with braking, and a rejected take off were performed with no problems noted. No definitive factor was identified in cause of the original incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 DC-9 SN 47384 REGISTRATION XA-UZJ ABORTED A TAKEOFF FROM YIP AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS OFF THE SIDE OF RUNWAY. BOTH ENGINES WERE SHUT DOWN AND THE AIRCREW ALONG WITH THE FLIGHT MECHANIC EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. NUMBER 3 TIRE WAS FOUND BLOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEFUELED, PULLED BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY, AND TOWED TO A PARKING AREA ON THE EAST RAMP. TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY SHOW HEAVY BRAKING WITH SIGNS THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS WORKING. THERE WAS A LONG BLACK SKID FROM #3 MAIN. PICTURES WHERE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST SHOW MAIN WHEELS 1,2, AND 4 WERE ROTATING BUT #3 WAS LOCKED.

ON SEPTEMBER 3RD THE PILOT AND FIRST OFFICER WERE INTERVIEWED AND PROVIDED WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED. SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIATION THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE CAPTAIN NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT. THEY RECALLED NO NOISE OR ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENING PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR HAD JUST BEGUN TO INDICATE SPEED WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. NOSE STEERING COULD NOT OVERCOME THE PULL AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT YET REACHED SUFFICIENT SPEED FOR THE RUDDER TO BECOME EFFECTIVE. THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED. BRAKING WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IN HALTING THE DRIFT TO THE RIGHT EITHER.

MAINTENANCE REPLACED THE BLOWN #3 WHEEL, INSPECTED THE BRAKES, POWER WASHED DIRT AND GRAVEL FROM THE WHEELS AND BRAKES, AND LUBED THE GEAR. NOSE WHEEL STEERING WAS TESTED ON SKID PLATES. TAXI TESTS, HIGH SPEED TAXI WITH BRAKING, AND A REJECTED TAKE OFF WERE PERFORMED WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED. NO DEFINITIVE FACTOR WAS IDENTIFIED IN CAUSE OF THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT.