# Incident 20240917019769I: Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR 42-300, Aguadilla, PR, September 17, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 17, 2024, 11:12 local time
- Place: Aguadilla, PR
- Airport: Rafael Hernandez Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: MTNA
- Location: 18.4949° N, 67.1294° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at RAFAEL HERNANDEZ (BQN), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.4949&lon=-67.1294&mi=10
- Aircraft: N915FX, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N915FX) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR 42-300 (registry code 8680920, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-aeritalia-atr-42-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 (registry code 52114, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw120) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE/AERITALIA ATR 42-300
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 12,480 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240917019769I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AFTER DEPARTURE, THE FLIGHT CREW WERE NOTIFIED BY ATC THAT BQN GROUND PERSONNEL WITNESSED A NOSE LANDING WHEEL ASSEMBLY DEPART THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE CREW PERFORMED A FLY-BY OF THE TOWER WHO CONFIRMED A WHEEL ASSEMBLY APPEARED TO BE MISSING. THE CREW OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO BQN.

NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT UPON LANDING. THE LEFT NOSE WHEEL WAS MISSING FROM THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND WAS RECOVERED BY GROUND PERSONNEL. THE NOSE WHEEL ATTACHING HARDWARE (AXLE NUT, LOCKING BOLT / NUT) COULD NOT BE LOCATED.

A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES REVEALED NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AXLE OR AXLE THREADS, AND NO EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING. THE LEFT NOSE WHEEL OUTBOARD BEARING WAS MISSING ALL OF THE ROLLERS AND THE CAGE WAS DEFORMED / BROKEN. THE WHEEL BEARING GREASE REMAINING IN THE OUTBOARD BEARING AND ON THE WHEEL HAD A DISCOLORED APPEARANCE; SIMILAR IN COLOR TO HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE SYRUP. MOBIL SHC 100 GREASE IS NORMALLY BRIGHT RED IN APPEARANCE. THE LEFT NOSE WHEEL INBOARD BEARING AND ITS GREASE APPEARED NORMAL FOR AN IN-SERVICE BEARING. THE RIGHT NOSE WHEEL AND ITS BEARINGS APPEARED NORMAL FOR AN IN-SERVICE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY.

## Other reports on N915FX (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20090204003069I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090204003069I), Feb 4, 2009: Aerosp ATR42300 (N915FX), Madison, WI, No damage. (-23) Mountain air cargo (mtna) flight 7558 reported white and green laser light illuminated aircraft while west bound @6,500 feet altitude, enroute between…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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