What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 29, 2026, the #3 main landing gear wheel assembly departed from privacy data omitted after takeoff from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (tjsj) in San Juan, puerto. No injuries or damage was reported from ground personnel at tjsj.
privacy data omitted Was subsequently diverted to orlando international airport (mco) where an uneventful landing was made with the only the #4 wheel remaining on the right main landing gear.
The #4 wheel assembly was removed for inspection. No grease was visible between the race and the cage or between the rollers in either inboard or outboard bearings.
The #3 and #4 main landing gear wheel assemblies were replaced at boca raton airport in boca raton, FL on June 28, 2026, by empire aviation (8BQR).
According to the work order documentation provided by 8BQR, the maintenance was performed in accordance with 32-41-01 of the challenger 300 aircraft maintenance manual (amm). The instructions included in 32-41-01 do not instruct maintenance personnel to remove and repack the wheel bearings prior to installing the wheel assembly on the axle.
Documentation submitted with the work order indicated that the replacement wheel assemblies came from lone star propeller (L79R).
L79R is rated to perform maintenance on accessories and landing gear components and to perform non-destructive testing.
The cause of the # 3 wheel assembly coming off of privacy data omitted during takeoff from tjsj appears to be failure of the wheel bearings due to a lack of grease in the space between the race and the cage between the rollers. The wheel bearings are required to be greased and installed during the assembly process as called out in goodrich corporation component maintenance manual (cmm) part number 3-1609-1, 32-48-28. That is the cmm reference noted on the 8130-3 forms as well as work order documentation from L79R.
The wheel bearings removed from the #4 wheel during the investigation had little to no grease visible in the pictures provided by maintenance personnel at mco.
Based on the available documentation and other evidence it appears that L79R failed to properly lubricate the wheel bearings as required by the cmm reference listed in block 12 of the 8130-3 for each wheel assembly.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 29, 2026, THE #3 MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY DEPARTED FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AFTER TAKEOFF FROM LUIS MUNOZ MARIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (TJSJ) IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED FROM GROUND PERSONNEL AT TJSJ.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVERTED TO ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MCO) WHERE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE WITH THE ONLY THE #4 WHEEL REMAINING ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR.
THE #4 WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FOR INSPECTION. NO GREASE WAS VISIBLE BETWEEN THE RACE AND THE CAGE OR BETWEEN THE ROLLERS IN EITHER INBOARD OR OUTBOARD BEARINGS.
THE #3 AND #4 MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED AT BOCA RATON AIRPORT IN BOCA RATON, FL ON JUNE 28, 2026, BY EMPIRE AVIATION (8BQR).
ACCORDING TO THE WORK ORDER DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED BY 8BQR, THE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 32-41-01 OF THE CHALLENGER 300 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL (AMM). THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED IN 32-41-01 DO NOT INSTRUCT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO REMOVE AND REPACK THE WHEEL BEARINGS PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY ON THE AXLE.
DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED WITH THE WORK ORDER INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT WHEEL ASSEMBLIES CAME FROM LONE STAR PROPELLER (L79R).
L79R IS RATED TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON ACCESSORIES AND LANDING GEAR COMPONENTS AND TO PERFORM NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING.
THE CAUSE OF THE # 3 WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMING OFF OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DURING TAKEOFF FROM TJSJ APPEARS TO BE FAILURE OF THE WHEEL BEARINGS DUE TO A LACK OF GREASE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE RACE AND THE CAGE BETWEEN THE ROLLERS. THE WHEEL BEARINGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE GREASED AND INSTALLED DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS AS CALLED OUT IN GOODRICH CORPORATION COMPONENT MAINTENANCE MANUAL (CMM) PART NUMBER 3-1609-1, 32-48-28. THAT IS THE CMM REFERENCE NOTED ON THE 8130-3 FORMS AS WELL AS WORK ORDER DOCUMENTATION FROM L79R.
THE WHEEL BEARINGS REMOVED FROM THE #4 WHEEL DURING THE INVESTIGATION HAD LITTLE TO NO GREASE VISIBLE IN THE PICTURES PROVIDED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT MCO.
BASED ON THE AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION AND OTHER EVIDENCE IT APPEARS THAT L79R FAILED TO PROPERLY LUBRICATE THE WHEEL BEARINGS AS REQUIRED BY THE CMM REFERENCE LISTED IN BLOCK 12 OF THE 8130-3 FOR EACH WHEEL ASSEMBLY.
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