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MD88 declares emergency and returns to departure airport due to abnormal gear retraction; excessive noise and smell of burnt rubber.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 722391 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200612 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon tracon : lszh.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 12100 flight time type : 992 |
| ASRS Report | 722391 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear unsafe light other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After takeoff and upon gear retraction; heard loud noise (airflow/tire spin) and vibration from nose gear area; with no unsafe gear indications. Light smell of rubber. Suspected bad snubber to slow tire rotation; but sound did not abate at all. Extended landing gear and pulled out the QRH. Retracted gear again with same noise/vibration and the addition of an unsafe gear light on the nose gear. Extended gear again as directed by the QRH. Declared an emergency with departure control; due to the unknown condition of the landing gear; and requested a return to land at ZZZ. Coordinated with flight attendants to prepare cabin for potential rough landing. Landed uneventfully with normal rollout. Noticed flickering shadows from nose gear landing lights upon landing and some extra vibration beyond the norm on short final. Suspected loose/dangling gear doors. Rolled off on high speed taxiway and had crash fire rescue equipment and maintenance personnel inspect nose gear. No abnormalities detected. Taxied to gate uneventfully. Maintenance personnel discovered nose gear needed 'servicing' and believe the gear would not retract in the condition that it was in.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD88 DECLARES EMER AND RETURNS TO DEP ARPT DUE TO ABNORMAL GEAR RETRACTION; EXCESSIVE NOISE AND SMELL OF BURNT RUBBER.
Narrative: AFTER TKOF AND UPON GEAR RETRACTION; HEARD LOUD NOISE (AIRFLOW/TIRE SPIN) AND VIBRATION FROM NOSE GEAR AREA; WITH NO UNSAFE GEAR INDICATIONS. LIGHT SMELL OF RUBBER. SUSPECTED BAD SNUBBER TO SLOW TIRE ROTATION; BUT SOUND DID NOT ABATE AT ALL. EXTENDED LNDG GEAR AND PULLED OUT THE QRH. RETRACTED GEAR AGAIN WITH SAME NOISE/VIBRATION AND THE ADDITION OF AN UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR. EXTENDED GEAR AGAIN AS DIRECTED BY THE QRH. DECLARED AN EMER WITH DEP CTL; DUE TO THE UNKNOWN CONDITION OF THE LNDG GEAR; AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO LAND AT ZZZ. COORDINATED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE CABIN FOR POTENTIAL ROUGH LNDG. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY WITH NORMAL ROLLOUT. NOTICED FLICKERING SHADOWS FROM NOSE GEAR LNDG LIGHTS UPON LNDG AND SOME EXTRA VIBRATION BEYOND THE NORM ON SHORT FINAL. SUSPECTED LOOSE/DANGLING GEAR DOORS. ROLLED OFF ON HIGH SPD TXWY AND HAD CFR AND MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECT NOSE GEAR. NO ABNORMALITIES DETECTED. TAXIED TO GATE UNEVENTFULLY. MAINT PERSONNEL DISCOVERED NOSE GEAR NEEDED 'SVCING' AND BELIEVE THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT IN THE CONDITION THAT IT WAS IN.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.