Incident Overview
Description
As the aircraft rotated for take off, both fan cowl doors detached from the no 1 engine and struck the aircraft. The doors were destroyed and localised damage resulted to the No 1 engine and its pylon, the left wing, the left flaps and slats, the fuselage and the fin. The evidence indicated that the doors had probably remained unlatched, after having been closed following maintenance prior to the accident flight and had been torn off their pylon attachment hinges by aerodynamic forces as the aircraft rotated. At 08:09 hours, low visibility procedures came into force at Gatwick due to a reducing Runway Visual Range (RVR). The commander decided to divert the flight to London Stansted Airport. The aircraft landed at Stansted at 08:36 hours without further incident. Three walk-round inspections had been conducted after the doors had been closed.
Primary Cause
Aerodynamic forces during aircraft rotation tore the fan cowl doors from their pylon attachment hinges.Aerodynamic forces during aircraft rotation tore the fan cowl doors from their pylon attachment hinges.Share on:
