Incident Overview

Date: Friday 13 February 2009
Aircraft Type: Avro RJ100
Owner/operator: BA CityFlyer
Registration Number: G-BXAR
Location: London City Airport (LCY) – ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 72
Component Affected: Nose landing gear main fittingNose landing gear main fitting
Category: Accident
A BA CityFlyer Avro RJ100 aircraft experienced a significant landing accident at London City Airport (LCY) on May 25, 2009. The aircraft’s nose landing gear collapsed after touchdown, resulting in damage to the equipment bay and the battery being disconnected. Smoke and fumes entered the cockpit and passenger cabin due to hydraulic fluid release.A BA CityFlyer Avro RJ100 aircraft experienced a significant landing accident at London City Airport (LCY) on May 25, 2009. The aircraft’s nose landing gear collapsed after touchdown, resulting in damage to the equipment bay and the battery being disconnected. Smoke and fumes entered the cockpit and passenger cabin due to hydraulic fluid release.

Description

A BA CityFlyer Avro RJ100 was substantially damaged during a landing accident at London City Airport (LCY). The 71 occupants evacuated the aircraft using emergency slides. The nose landing gear of flight BA8456 collapsed after touchdown at London City Airport (LCY) runway 28. BBC News reported on May 25, 2009 that British Airways had written off the airplane. CONCLUSIONS: Following a normal touchdown, the fracture of the nose landing gear main fitting allowed the nose gear to collapse rearwards and penetrate the lower fuselage, causing significant damage to the equipment bay and the battery to become disconnected. The penetration of the fuselage allowed smoke and fumes produced by the consequent release of hydraulic fluid to enter the cockpit and passenger cabin. With the battery disconnected and after the engines were shut down, all power to the aircraft PA systems was lost and the remote cockpit door release mechanism became inoperative. No pre-accident defects were identified with the manual cockpit door release mechanism or the PA system. The nose landing gear main fitting failed following the formation of multiple fatigue cracks within the upper section of the inner bore, originating at the base of machining grooves in the bore surface. These had formed because the improved surface finish, introduced by SB 146-32-150, had not been properly embodied at previous overhaul by Messier Services Inc, despite their overhaul records showing its incorporation. The operator had been in full compliance with the Service Bulletin relating to regular inspection of the main fitting, and embodiment of SB 146-32-150 at overhaul removed the requirement for these inspections by the operator.

Primary Cause

Fatigue cracking within the upper section of the inner bore of the nose landing gear main fitting, exacerbated by the introduction of the SB 146-32-150 surface finish, despite prior adherence to Service Bulletin requirements.Fatigue cracking within the upper section of the inner bore of the nose landing gear main fitting, exacerbated by the introduction of the SB 146-32-150 surface finish, despite prior adherence to Service Bulletin requirements.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *