<< >> NASA ASRS Report 89028, June 1988

Flight crew of medium large transport advised their tail cone was missing after gate arrival. Tailcone found on taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	89028
Time
Date	198806
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	89028
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	89206
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Ferried the aircraft, an medium large transport, from lax to sfo. At sfo, we flew a passenger flight to msp, then to ewr. Moderate chop was encountered for approximately 1 hour during the sfo to msp leg. I flew the leg from msp to ewr, smooth air all the way. My landing at ewr was smoother than normal. The taxi to the gate was seemingly uneventful. The crew meeting the plane informed us that the tail cone was missing. It was later found on the taxiway at ewr. Outside of the turbulence encountered during the sfo-msp leg, there is nothing that could have contributed to the failure of the tailcone latches during this series of flts.

Related reports:

• Air carrier medium large transport tailcone separates on lan...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ADVISED THEIR TAIL CONE WAS MISSING AFTER GATE ARR. TAILCONE FOUND ON TXWY.

Narrative: FERRIED THE ACFT, AN MLG, FROM LAX TO SFO. AT SFO, WE FLEW A PAX FLT TO MSP, THEN TO EWR. MODERATE CHOP WAS ENCOUNTERED FOR APPROX 1 HR DURING THE SFO TO MSP LEG. I FLEW THE LEG FROM MSP TO EWR, SMOOTH AIR ALL THE WAY. MY LNDG AT EWR WAS SMOOTHER THAN NORMAL. THE TAXI TO THE GATE WAS SEEMINGLY UNEVENTFUL. THE CREW MEETING THE PLANE INFORMED US THAT THE TAIL CONE WAS MISSING. IT WAS LATER FOUND ON THE TXWY AT EWR. OUTSIDE OF THE TURB ENCOUNTERED DURING THE SFO-MSP LEG, THERE IS NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE TAILCONE LATCHES DURING THIS SERIES OF FLTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.