<< >> NASA ASRS Report 402128, May 1998

A DC9 was dispatched with the nose landing gear doors unlocked caused by the failure of the contract mechanic to close after a fuel quantity check.

Attributes
ACN	402128
Time
Date	199805
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	402128
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	402305
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

ZZZ airport contract maintenance was called to verify fuel quantity in right main tank prior to departure. To do this, the nose gear doors must be opened and a reading from an inclinometer must be taken to get an accurate reading after 'sticking' the fuel tank. On departure, the nose gear failed to give an 'up and locked' indication and a loud vibration (noise) accompanied the unsafe indication. The gear was lowered and the gear indicated down and locked and the noise subsided. Again, the gear was retracted with the same unsafe indication resulting with the nosewheel. The gear was then lowered with initial indication of only the main gear being down and locked. Eventually, the nose gear indicated down and locked and the vibration subsided. Diverted to lax where maintenance found the nose gear doors to be unlatched. Apparently the contract maintenance at ZZZ had failed to lock them back into the up position after verifying the fuel load. The pushback crew at ZZZ also missed this when asked prior to disconnect if all panels and doors were secure, at which time they responded 'yes.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE NOSE LNDG GEAR DOORS UNLOCKED CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE CONTRACT MECH TO CLOSE AFTER A FUEL QUANTITY CHK.

Narrative: ZZZ ARPT CONTRACT MAINT WAS CALLED TO VERIFY FUEL QUANTITY IN R MAIN TANK PRIOR TO DEP. TO DO THIS, THE NOSE GEAR DOORS MUST BE OPENED AND A READING FROM AN INCLINOMETER MUST BE TAKEN TO GET AN ACCURATE READING AFTER 'STICKING' THE FUEL TANK. ON DEP, THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO GIVE AN 'UP AND LOCKED' INDICATION AND A LOUD VIBRATION (NOISE) ACCOMPANIED THE UNSAFE INDICATION. THE GEAR WAS LOWERED AND THE GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED AND THE NOISE SUBSIDED. AGAIN, THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED WITH THE SAME UNSAFE INDICATION RESULTING WITH THE NOSEWHEEL. THE GEAR WAS THEN LOWERED WITH INITIAL INDICATION OF ONLY THE MAIN GEAR BEING DOWN AND LOCKED. EVENTUALLY, THE NOSE GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED AND THE VIBRATION SUBSIDED. DIVERTED TO LAX WHERE MAINT FOUND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS TO BE UNLATCHED. APPARENTLY THE CONTRACT MAINT AT ZZZ HAD FAILED TO LOCK THEM BACK INTO THE UP POS AFTER VERIFYING THE FUEL LOAD. THE PUSHBACK CREW AT ZZZ ALSO MISSED THIS WHEN ASKED PRIOR TO DISCONNECT IF ALL PANELS AND DOORS WERE SECURE, AT WHICH TIME THEY RESPONDED 'YES.'

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.