An Omni Air Boeing 767-300, registration N423AX, flying from Kabul (Afghanistan) to Bucharest Baneasa (Romania) with 49 passengers and 15 crew, landed on Baneasa Airport’s runway 07 with all gear struts down and locked at 14:53L (11:53Z), but the left main gear collapsed about two seconds later.
The aircraft skidded along the runway on its right main gear, aft belly, and left engine cowl, until coming to a stop on the runway’s centerline. The plane was evacuated using slides. There have been no reported injuries.
Following the refueling stop in Bucharest, the plane was meant to continue on to the United States.
The AIAS (Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Authority) of Romania stated that the left main gear collapsed during the rollout. The AIAS has established an investigation commission. A preliminary report is due in 30 days.
The airport remained closed until September 3rd, 2020, in order for the aircraft to be taken off the runway.
According to the Aviation Herald, the aircraft suffered an upper strut body fracture.
On September 28th, 2020, Romania’s AIAS released their preliminary report in Romanian (the English version was released on October 1st, 2020), reporting that the crew consisted of a captain (64, ATPL, 17,858 hours total, 5,463 hours on type) pilot monitoring and a first officer (58, ATPL, 8,838 hours total, 718 hours on type) pilot flying.
The crew was completed by an extra captain and first officer, as well as 11 flight attendants.
The aircraft conducted an ILS approach to runway 07, all checklists were completed, the approach was stabilized, and a “normal positive runway contact” (touchdown) occurred at +1.6G in the touchdown zone.
The left main gear collapsed shortly after touchdown, and the aircraft continued on the left engine. When the left main gear collapsed, the crew received an unsafe left main gear indicator, followed by a left engine fire warning.
The crew turned off the left engine and activated the fire suppression system, and the fire indicator went out. The commander ordered the evacuation of the aircraft via the right-side doors once the aircraft stops. As a result of the evacuation, a flight attendant received a slight abrasion from rubbing her hand against the surface of the slide.
In 14,811 flight cycles, the aircraft had accumulated 71,418 flying hours.
FDR and CVR have been downloaded successfully.
The AIAS issued an interim notification on September 2nd, 2021, saying that the investigation is still ongoing. The outer cylinder of the left main gear had been extensively metallographically examined at Boeing’s headquarters in Seattle, and the results were as follows: “Initial reports indicate that the breaking surface’s characteristics are consistent with a mechanism for initiating deterioration of the base material due to overheating, followed by a hydrogen-assisted cracking propagation mechanism.
Numerous damages to the base metal below the chromium layer were discovered during the inspections in the areas near to the rupture zone. The outer cylinder of the landing gear’s expertise report is being written.
At the moment, the study is focusing on the techniques and processing processes used on the outer cylinder during the previous overhaul of the landing gear.”
Source: avherald
Related NOTAM:
A2956/20 NOTAMN
Q) LRBB/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A /000/999/4430N02606E005
A) LRBS B) 2008281300 C) 2008291300
E) RWY 07/25 CLSD.
Metars:
LRBS 281300Z VRB04KT CAVOK 31/08 Q1011 NOSIG=
LRBS 281230Z VRB02KT CAVOK 31/08 Q1012 NOSIG=
LRBS 281200Z 04005KT 360V090 CAVOK 31/08 Q1012 NOSIG=
LRBS 281130Z 08004KT 020V160 CAVOK 31/08 Q1012 NOSIG=
LRBS 281100Z 18003KT 100V230 CAVOK 31/09 Q1012 NOSIG=
COR LRBS 281030Z VRB03KT CAVOK 30/11 Q1012 NOSIG=
LRBS 281000Z VRB03KT CAVOK 30/11 Q1013 NOSIG=
