Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Miami International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Miami, Florida 33159
Friday, August 21, 1992 22:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BOGIE WHILE STOPPED AT THE RUNWAY AWAITING TAKEOFF CLEARANCE. POSTINCIDENT EXAMINATION INDICATED THE AFT BOGIE SWIVEL JOINT LUGS HAD FAILED DUE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. THE SWIVEL JOINT DID NOT HAVE PROPER LUBRICATION WHICH KEEPS WATER OUT. THIS ALLOWED FORMATION OF CORROSION ON THE SURFACE OF THE LUGS, AND SUBSEQUENT CRACK INITIATION AT THE CORROSION PITS. OPERATOR MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED THAT THE SWIVEL JOINT BE LUBRICATED EVERY WEEKEND CHECK AND EVERY 'A' CHECK. THE WORK CARDS FOR THESE TWO INSPECTIONS CALLED OUT IN NARRATIVE FORM THE LUBRICATING OF THE BOGIE PIVOT JOINT. THE CARDS CALLED FOR THE SWIVEL JOINT TO BE LUBRICATED BY REFERENCE TO A NUMBER ON AN ILLUSTRATION. THE FAILURE OF THE SWIVEL JOINT LUGS WAS THE SUBJECT OF DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT ALL OPERATOR LETTERS IN 1976 AND 1990. THESE LETTERS STRESSED TO OPERATORS THE IMPORTANCE OF LUBRICATING THE SWIVEL JOINT TO PREVENT CORROSION FORMATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO ADEQUATELY LUBRICATE AND SEAL THE MAIN LANDING GEAR BOGIE BEAM SWIVEL JOINT AS REQUIRED BY MANUFACTURER AND OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. THIS ALLOWED MOISTURE TO ENTER THE SWIVEL JOINT AND CAUSE CORROSION DAMAGE WHICH CAUSED STRESS CORROSION CRACKING AND FAILURE OF THE SWIVEL JOINT LUGS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS LACK OF CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OPERATORS MAINTENANCE PROGRAM REGARDING LUBRICATION OF THE SWIVEL JOINT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 8/21/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2240 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MIAMI |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33159 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MIAMI INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MIA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 11 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2150 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MIA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 11 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1600 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5034 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 21 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1110 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47619 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N748UP |
| NTSB Number | MIA92IA166 |
| 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 | DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | DC-8-71F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DC-8-71F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45948 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 325000 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 31 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 327 |
| Airframe Hours | 56123 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1400 N. HURSTBORNE PKWY |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOUISVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40223 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1400 N. HURSTBORNE PKWY |
| Operator City | LOUISVILLE |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 40223 |
| Operator Code | IPXA |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | MIA |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SDF |
| Destination City | LOUISVILLE |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2002 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |