Narrative:

The aircraft was in need of maintenance action upon arrival at jfk due to outboard anti-skid circuit breaker tripping. Maintenance suspected moisture/dirt in wheel area and cleaned/dried connectors there. I was assigned aircraft for jfk-dca round trip and fueled enough to use phl as alternate field. Noted in aircraft logbook 'main landing gear strut doors removed.' company does not consider this to affect airworthiness, but I suspect 'no doors' policy does as noted below. The flight departed normally. About 34 mi southwest of jfk, I saw the 'anti-skid outboard' circuit breaker tripped. Considering our weight, the flight was turned back to jfk. ATC offered us emergency handling, which we accepted, but did not badly need. 'Better to have and not need than vice versa.' we needed almost 10000 ft of runway to meet performance requirements in crew operations manual. Landing was uneventful. We then ferried the same aircraft to bgr for repairs to anti-skid system. The next day, the same aircraft was in bos, with failed anti-skid. You guessed it! I then was assigned ferry to bgr for repairs. Bgr was only maintenance base with runways long enough for SF340 with no anti-skid. I later learned that the problem comes from the lack of WX shielding provided by the main gear strut doors. It is common practice to remove and MEL these doors, but they prevent wiring on landing gear from being damaged by WX and airflow. Little things like this can cause a problem for operators trying to save a few dollars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAAB 340B ACFT WITH OUTBOARD ANTI-SKID PROB. MAINT CLEANED. DRIED CONNECTORS PLUS DISPATCHED ACFT WITH MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR REMOVED APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTING ACFT AIRWORTHINESS. DURING DEP FLC AGAIN HAD AN INOP ANTI- SKID, SO RETURNED WITH EMER ASSISTANCE FROM APCH CTLR. THE NEXT DAY RPTR CAPT FERRIED ACFT TO ANOTHER ARPT WITH ADEQUATE RWY LENGTH WHERE THERE WAS MAINT. RPTR CLAIMS THAT, WITH THE GEAR DOORS REMOVED, THERE IS INADEQUATE WX SHIELDING OF WIRING.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS IN NEED OF MAINT ACTION UPON ARR AT JFK DUE TO OUTBOARD ANTI-SKID CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPING. MAINT SUSPECTED MOISTURE/DIRT IN WHEEL AREA AND CLEANED/DRIED CONNECTORS THERE. I WAS ASSIGNED ACFT FOR JFK-DCA ROUND TRIP AND FUELED ENOUGH TO USE PHL AS ALTERNATE FIELD. NOTED IN ACFT LOGBOOK 'MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUT DOORS REMOVED.' COMPANY DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS TO AFFECT AIRWORTHINESS, BUT I SUSPECT 'NO DOORS' POLICY DOES AS NOTED BELOW. THE FLT DEPARTED NORMALLY. ABOUT 34 MI SW OF JFK, I SAW THE 'ANTI-SKID OUTBOARD' CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED. CONSIDERING OUR WT, THE FLT WAS TURNED BACK TO JFK. ATC OFFERED US EMER HANDLING, WHICH WE ACCEPTED, BUT DID NOT BADLY NEED. 'BETTER TO HAVE AND NOT NEED THAN VICE VERSA.' WE NEEDED ALMOST 10000 FT OF RWY TO MEET PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS IN CREW OPS MANUAL. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE THEN FERRIED THE SAME ACFT TO BGR FOR REPAIRS TO ANTI-SKID SYS. THE NEXT DAY, THE SAME ACFT WAS IN BOS, WITH FAILED ANTI-SKID. YOU GUESSED IT! I THEN WAS ASSIGNED FERRY TO BGR FOR REPAIRS. BGR WAS ONLY MAINT BASE WITH RWYS LONG ENOUGH FOR SF340 WITH NO ANTI-SKID. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE PROB COMES FROM THE LACK OF WX SHIELDING PROVIDED BY THE MAIN GEAR STRUT DOORS. IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO REMOVE AND MEL THESE DOORS, BUT THEY PREVENT WIRING ON LNDG GEAR FROM BEING DAMAGED BY WX AND AIRFLOW. LITTLE THINGS LIKE THIS CAN CAUSE A PROB FOR OPERATORS TRYING TO SAVE A FEW DOLLARS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.