# NTSB LAX97IA300: Airbus Industrie A300 B4-203, N862PA, Los Angeles, CA, August 24, 1997 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: August 24, 1997, 13:50 local (20:50 UTC) - Place: Los Angeles, CA - Coordinates: 33.950813, -118.400291 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9508&lon=-118.4003&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 265 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 28, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29649 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX97IA300 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29649/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97IA300 ## Probable cause Separation of the landing gear tire tread and subsequent ingestion of the tread into the intake of the engine. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, takeoff - roll/run - landing gear,tire - separation (cause) - landing gear,tire - loss,partial (cause) - Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, takeoff - roll/run - 1 engine - landing gear,tire - ingested (cause) - compressor assembly,forward fan - foreign object damage - compressor assembly - foreign object damage ## Analysis After feeling a vibration in the aircraft during the takeoff roll, the cockpit crew heard a loud bang and the right-hand (number 2) engine failed. The captain rejected the takeoff and stopped the airplane on the remaining runway. Postincident examination revealed that the tire tread was absent from the number 3 tire on the right-hand main landing gear. One piece of black rubber resembling the tire tread was found lodged in the fan outlet guide vanes. Black smearing marks were observed on several of the fan blades and bent stator vanes of the engine, which also resembled the tire tread material. There was substantial damage to the engine and minor airframe damage. ## Factual narrative On August 24, 1997, at 1350 hours Pacific daylight time, an Airbus A300 B4-203, N862PA, lost power to the number 2 engine and aborted the takeoff on runway 24L at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California. The airplane sustained minor damage. There were no injuries to the 3 cockpit crewmembers, 8 cabin crewmembers, and 254 passengers. The airplane was being operated on an instrument flight plan by Pan American World Airways as flight 6, a scheduled domestic passenger flight under 14 CFR Part 121. The flight was destined for John F. Kennedy International Airport, Jamaica, New York. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The cockpit crew reported feeling a vibration in the aircraft during the takeoff roll and then hearing a loud noise while accelerating past 145 knots. According to the captain, the airplane was loaded heavily with fuel and passengers and the takeoff decision speed (V1) was 159 knots. The captain rejected the takeoff and stopped the airplane on the 10,285-foot-long runway with about 800 feet remaining. Postincident examination revealed that the tire tread was absent from the number 3 tire on the right-hand main landing gear. One piece of black rubber resembling the tire tread (2-4 inches long) was found lodged in the fan outlet guide vanes. Black smearing marks were observed on several of the fan blades and bent stator vanes of the engine, which also resembled the tire tread material. The number 2 engine fan was destroyed and several outlet guide vanes were damaged. There was a hole through the engine fan cowl at the 6 o'clock position. The engine's accessory gearbox was fractured to the left of the constant speed drive (CSD) and generator. Oil was leaking from the fracture and two broken oil return lines from the CSD and generator. Minor damage was also observed on the right-hand landing gear door, inboard flap, and all-speed aileron. Metallurgical examination of the failed compressor fan blades revealed that features noted along the fracture surfaces were consistent with ductile overload and rapid tensile shear. The metallurgist noted that there was no evidence of metallurgical fatigue present at the fractures and opined that liberation of the blade tips occurred as a result of a "single overload event." The aircraft's Lockheed model 209F flight data recorder was read out and evaluated at the Safety Board's laboratory in Washington, D.C. The specialist's report is attached. The report states that both engines were operating within normal limits for a period of time before a positive lateral acceleration and a decrease in longitudinal acceleration were recorded at FDR time 5195.2 seconds, after which the aircraft decelerated. The report also notes that there were four parameters reporting erroneous values. The four were engine vibration monitors for the fan and compressor of each engine. ## Aircraft - Registration: N862PA (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Airbus Industrie A300 B4-203 (A300 B4-20) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 211 - Engines: GE CF6-50C2 51000 lbs thrust turbo jet - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Pan American World Airways, In - Registered owner: Eal Delaware Viii Corp. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: LAX - Destination: JFK, JAMAICA, NY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: LAX, Los Angeles International, runway 24L, 10,285 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 15 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: LAX, 1 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 19970824029849I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970824029849I), Aug 24, 1997: Airbus A300B4203, Los Angeles, CA, Minor damage. Narrative: on August 24, 1997, at 13:50 pdst at Los Angeles, California, an Airbus A300, N862PA aborted take off due to loss of power of number two engine.… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.