20230820022669A

ON AUGUST 20, 2023, ABOUT 2315 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME (PDT), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A BOEING 737-890, SUSTAINED DAMAGE WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 20R AT JOHN WAYNE-ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT (SNA), SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA. THE 112 PASSENGERS AND CREW EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE VIA STAIRS ONTO TAXIWAY E WITH NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS

OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 121 AS A SCHEDULED DOMESTIC PASSENGER FLIGHT FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, TO SNA. THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE FINAL APPROACH FIX, THE AIRPLANE WAS FULLY CONFIGURED, AND THEY HAD COMPLETED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST, AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. THEY WERE ALSO MAKING POSITION REPORTS VIA THE COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (CTAF) AS THE TOWER WAS CLOSED. THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THAT THERE WAS MODERATE RAIN, SHIFTING WINDS, LIGHT TURBULENCE, AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). ALTHOUGH THE WEATHER WAS IMPROVING, THE CAPTAIN AND THE FIRST OFFICER (FO) DISCUSSED THAT A FIRM TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROPRIATE. AS SOON AS THEY SAW THE RUNWAY, THE CAPTAIN, WHO WAS THE PILOT FLYING, DISENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND AUTOTHROTTLE. THE FO, DURING THE APPROACH, CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE FLIGHT'S STATUS, NOTING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON SPEED AND ON PATH. DURING THE DESCENT, ALL SYSTEMS WERE OPERATIONAL, AND ALL OF THE LANDING GEAR POSITION INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE GREEN, INDICATING BOTH MLG AND THE NOSE GEAR WERE IN THEIR DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE END OF THE RUNWAY ON THE GLIDE PATH AND TOUCHDOWN JUST PAST THE 1,000-FOOT MARKER. ACCORDING TO THE CAPTAIN, UPON LANDING, THE TOUCHDOWN HAD A “FIRM JOLT FEELING” TO IT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLING REASONABLY HARD TO THE LEFT. THE CAPTAIN WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THIS WITH RUDDER PEDAL INPUT AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE PLANE ON THE CENTER LINE. HE STATED TO THE FO THAT IT FELT LIKE THE AIRPLANE HAD A FLAT TIRE ON THE LEFT MLG. THE FO COMPLETED THE AFTER-LANDING PROCEDURES, WHICH INCLUDED BRINGING THE AUXILIARY POWER UNIT (APU) ONLINE. THE CAPTAIN SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO TAXI SPEED AND EXITED THE RUNWAY ONTO TAXIWAY E. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT MADE THE TURN ONTO THE TAXIWAY, THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LISTING TO THE LEFT. THE CAPTAIN STOPPED THE AIRPLANE ON THE TAXIWAY AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. HE OPENED HIS WINDOW, LOOKED OUTSIDE, AND NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THE LEFT ENGINE COWLING, AND IT APPEARED TO BE STILL RUNNING NORMALLY. HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE. THE CAPTAIN ALSO NOTED THAT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR POSITION INDICATOR LIGHT WAS NOT GREEN ANYMORE; IT HAD GONE COMPLETELY DARK, WHEREAS THE NOSE AND RIGHT MLG POSITION INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE STILL GREEN. AFTER CONFIRMING THE APU WAS RUNNING, HE SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE. HE MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE PASSENGER CABIN AND BRIEFED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.