Crash investigators have released a photo that reveals the
aftermath of a plane’s dramatic landing at East Midlands Airport.
A set of wheels broke off the Boeing 737 moments after it
touched down at the airport, near Derby, causing the cargo plane to skid along
the runway for 380ft before coming to a stop.
It happened as the plane delivered 10 tonnes of freight,
including dangerous goods, on an Air Contractors flight that originated in
Athens and included a stopover at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
The plane’s 38-year-old captain and co-pilot escaped injury,
and there were no passengers on board when the left main landing gear detached.
The plane, manufactured in 1990, suffered significant damage
to its left wing and engine as it slid along the runway in darkness on the
morning of April 29, 2014, according to an Air Accidents Investigation Branch
report.
As the plane landed its speed was reduced and the co-pilot
handed control to the captain, who pressed on the brakes twice to disengage the
autobrake system.
The touchdown was ‘unremarkable’ and the autobrake functioned
normally, according to the report, but the left main landing gear came off when
an inner cylinder, just above the axle, fractured as a result of heat damage to
chrome plating.
The report stated: ‘The aircraft shuddered and rolled
slightly left-wing-low as the lower part of the main landing gear detached.’
It said that the source of the heat could not be determined.
As the plane came to a stop its flight crew feared that it
would burst into flames, with the co-pilot and the pilot of a different plane
reporting smoke to air traffic control.
The report stated: ‘The co-pilot saw some smoke drift past
the aircraft as it came to a halt. The commander … had reached the conclusion
that one of the main landing gear legs had failed, but as a result of the other
pilot’s transmission, he was also concerned that the aircraft might be on
fire.’
The captain shut down the engines and switched off the
battery as firefighters attended the scene, but the plane did not catch fire.
Firefighters placed a ladder against the door to allow the
captain and co-pilot to disembark, and they sprayed foam around the landing
gear and engine as a precaution.
The report cited concerns about communications between air
traffic control and other agencies, and said the airport operator issued a
safety bulletin with a reminder of emergency protocols and procedures.
The landing gear overhaul company carried out a review as a
precaution, as it was not clear how or when the chrome plating damage
occurred.
Culled From Dailymail
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