O'hare Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chicago, Illinois 60666
Saturday, March 13, 1993 16:27 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DOWN & LOCKED INDICATION OF NOSE GEAR WAS NOT ACHIEVED FOR LANDING. CREW RECYCLED GEAR, USED ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM & MADE A FLY-BY. AFTER BEING TOLD GEAR APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED, CREW LANDED, BUT NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AT END OF LANDING ROLL. RIGHT MAIN OUTBOARD TIRE ALSO BLEW-OUT DURING LANDING DUE TO FROZEN BRAKE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NOSE- WHEEL WELL WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICE CONTAMINATION. NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK PLUNGER WAS FROZEN & WOULD NOT EXTEND TO DOWN & LOCKED POSITION. AT DEPARTURE AIRPORT, SLUSH HAD ACCUMULATED ON NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK & FROZE. USE OF ALTERNATE EXTENSION SYSTEM WOULD HAVE DUMPED THE 500 PSI HYDRAULIC PRESSURE THAT NORMALLY ASSISTED IN HOLDING GEAR IN EXTENDED POSITION. USAIR PROCEDURES STATED THAT TAKEOFF SHOULD NOT BE MADE IF SLUSH OR WET SNOW IN EXCESS OF 1/2 INCH COVERED RUNWAY. AT LEAST 1 INCH OF WET SNOW & SLUSH WAS REPORTED ON DEPARTURE RUNWAY, 22 MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTURE; HOWEVER, ACTING STATION MANAGER DID NOT FOLLOW USAIR PROCEDURES THAT REQUIRED REPORTING THIS TO DISPATCHER & CAPTAIN OF FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE COMPANY STATION MANAGER TO FOLLOW PROPER DISPATCH PROCEDURES, AND ICE ACCUMULATION ON THE NOSE GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: WET SNOW (SLUSH) ON THE RUNWAY AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, AND INADEQUATE DESIGN WHICH ALLOWED ICE TO RENDER THE NOSE GEAR DOWNLOCK SYSTEM INOPERATIVE.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/13/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1627
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60666
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport O'HARE INT'L
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ORD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 667
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1632 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID ORD
Elevation of weather observation facility 667
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3600
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 340
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 103
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5004
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 13 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48312
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:11PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N895US
NTSB Number CHI93IA110
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name FOKKER
Aircraft Model 100
Aircraft Series Identifier 100
Aircraft Serial Number 11380
Certified Max Gross Weight 91500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 111
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 13 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2293
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Aircraft Owner Street Address RODNEY SQUARE NORTH
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19890
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name USAIR
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2345 CRYSTAL DRIVE
Operator City ARLINGTON
Operator State VA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 22227
Operator Code USAA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CLT
Departure City CHARLOTTE
Departure State NC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1422
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code ORD
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 4R
Runway Length 8071
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --