What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Chicago, IL (ord): privacy data omitted, A35K, ord-vhhh, reported a cracked wheel axle and apparent locked brakes as the aircraft was taxiing for departure; flight is waiting on twy l for repair. Pax are being bussed to gate M13. Injuries: none, damage: extent unknown. 11/23/2023 2123Z
On November 23, 2023, 2132Z, operator's A350-1000, registration number #privacy data omitted and flight number# privacy data omitted was departing from Chicago o’hare international airport (ord) united states of america enroute to hong kong’s chek lap kok international airport (hkg) hong kong. While taxing on taxi way lima, the flight crews were alerted to a tire pressure system issue, followed by a high brake temperature on wheel number #8 on the main landing gear (MLG). The flight crews reported that the brake temperature on the number #8 brakes system increased to approximately 350 degrees celsius while the rest of the brakes were reading below 50 degrees celsius. The flight crews stopped the aircraft and requested fire and rescue from air traffic control (ATC). Furthermore, they notified their operation center who then dispatched engineers (aircraft mechanic).
When fire and rescue arrived on the scene, they noticed there was light smoke emanating from the #8 tire and wheel assembly. The fire and rescue team did not deploy fire retardant to the smoking #8 tire and wheel assembly. When the operator's engineers arrived on the scene, they evaluated the damages on the # 8 tire and noticed that there appears to be damages on the #8 tire and wheel assembly. They notified the flight crews who with concurrence of their operation center decided to disembark the aircraft using airstairs. All the passengers were disembarked without any report of an injury. The passengers where then bussed back to the terminal.
The aircraft was then towed back for maintenance. During maintenance diagnostic, it was determined that the #8 (MLG) tire and wheel bearings have failed and locked, causing damages to the tire, breaks and wheel assemblies. Further diagnostics identified that there were also damages on the # 6 and 7 tire and wheel and brake assemblies. However, there were no damages or signs of overheat identified on the landing gear axle assemblies. privacy data omitted Engineers removed and replaced # 6, 7 and 8 tire, wheel and break assemblies per applicable Airbus maintenance manuals. However, the operator locked out the #8 brake system and deferred the brake assembly for 10 days. The aircraft was then return to back service.
A documentary review of operator's maintenance logbook for the past 10 days prior to this incident did not reveal any fault or maintenance performed associated with the # 8 tire, wheel, and brake assemblies.
This ASI recommends notifying the hong kong civil aviation authorities and bearing manufacturer to ascertain as to the root cause of why the bearings failed.
During the asi's documentary investigation, it was noted that the operator's maintenance department carried out the required inspection and repairs outlined in their maintenance manual (mm), therefore no further action is required, and this office deem this case closed.
As the FAA filed it
CHICAGO, IL (ORD): ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A35K, ORD-VHHH, REPORTED A CRACKED WHEEL AXLE AND APPARENT LOCKED BRAKES AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE; FLIGHT IS WAITING ON TWY L FOR REPAIR. PAX ARE BEING BUSSED TO GATE M13. INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: EXTENT UNKNOWN. 11/23/2023 2123Z
ON NOVEMBER 23, 2023, 2132Z, OPERATOR'S A350-1000, REGISTRATION NUMBER #^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND FLIGHT NUMBER# ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DEPARTING FROM CHICAGO O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORD) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ENROUTE TO HONG KONG’S CHEK LAP KOK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (HKG) HONG KONG. WHILE TAXING ON TAXI WAY LIMA, THE FLIGHT CREWS WERE ALERTED TO A TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM ISSUE, FOLLOWED BY A HIGH BRAKE TEMPERATURE ON WHEEL NUMBER #8 ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG). THE FLIGHT CREWS REPORTED THAT THE BRAKE TEMPERATURE ON THE NUMBER #8 BRAKES SYSTEM INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 350 DEGREES CELSIUS WHILE THE REST OF THE BRAKES WERE READING BELOW 50 DEGREES CELSIUS. THE FLIGHT CREWS STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT AND REQUESTED FIRE AND RESCUE FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC). FURTHERMORE, THEY NOTIFIED THEIR OPERATION CENTER WHO THEN DISPATCHED ENGINEERS (AIRCRAFT MECHANIC).
WHEN FIRE AND RESCUE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THEY NOTICED THERE WAS LIGHT SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE #8 TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THE FIRE AND RESCUE TEAM DID NOT DEPLOY FIRE RETARDANT TO THE SMOKING #8 TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY. WHEN THE OPERATOR'S ENGINEERS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THEY EVALUATED THE DAMAGES ON THE # 8 TIRE AND NOTICED THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE DAMAGES ON THE #8 TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THEY NOTIFIED THE FLIGHT CREWS WHO WITH CONCURRENCE OF THEIR OPERATION CENTER DECIDED TO DISEMBARK THE AIRCRAFT USING AIRSTAIRS. ALL THE PASSENGERS WERE DISEMBARKED WITHOUT ANY REPORT OF AN INJURY. THE PASSENGERS WHERE THEN BUSSED BACK TO THE TERMINAL.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOWED BACK FOR MAINTENANCE. DURING MAINTENANCE DIAGNOSTIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE #8 (MLG) TIRE AND WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE FAILED AND LOCKED, CAUSING DAMAGES TO THE TIRE, BREAKS AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES. FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE ALSO DAMAGES ON THE # 6 AND 7 TIRE AND WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO DAMAGES OR SIGNS OF OVERHEAT IDENTIFIED ON THE LANDING GEAR AXLE ASSEMBLIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ENGINEERS REMOVED AND REPLACED # 6, 7 AND 8 TIRE, WHEEL AND BREAK ASSEMBLIES PER APPLICABLE AIRBUS MAINTENANCE MANUALS. HOWEVER, THE OPERATOR LOCKED OUT THE #8 BRAKE SYSTEM AND DEFERRED THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY FOR 10 DAYS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN RETURN TO BACK SERVICE.
A DOCUMENTARY REVIEW OF OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK FOR THE PAST 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT DID NOT REVEAL ANY FAULT OR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ASSOCIATED WITH THE # 8 TIRE, WHEEL, AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES.
THIS ASI RECOMMENDS NOTIFYING THE HONG KONG CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITIES AND BEARING MANUFACTURER TO ASCERTAIN AS TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHY THE BEARINGS FAILED.
DURING THE ASI'S DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT CARRIED OUT THE REQUIRED INSPECTION AND REPAIRS OUTLINED IN THEIR MAINTENANCE MANUAL (MM), THEREFORE NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED, AND THIS OFFICE DEEM THIS CASE CLOSED.