Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Yuma Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Yuma, Arizona 85365
Wednesday, September 16, 1992 22:20 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS INSTRUMENTED A FLIGHT TEST MD11 TO EXPLORE TWO PREVIOUS IN SERVICE INCIDENTS OF CENTER MAIN BODY LANDING GEAR DRAG LINK FAILURES. THE TEST PROTOCOL WAS DESIGNED TO REPLICATE THE KNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TWO IN SERVICE FAILURES. DURING THE LANDING ON THE TEST FLIGHT, A FAILURE OF THE DRAG LINK WAS INDUCED, WHICH ALLOWED THE CENTER MAIN BODY GEAR TO FOLD AFT DAMAGING THE WHEEL WELL AND ADJACENT SKIN PANELS. EXAMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENTATION DATA REVEALED THAT THE DRAG LINK FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF A DYNAMIC INSTABILITY OF THE CENTER BODY GEAR DUE TO AN UNFAVORABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CENTER BODY LANDING GEAR AND THE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM (INCLUDING THE ANTI SKID AND AUTO BRAKE SUB SYSTEMS). AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION, THE MANUFACTURER DEVELOPED A MODIFICATION TO THE ANTI SKID CONTROL UNIT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
AN UNSTABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CENTER BODY MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 9/16/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2220 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | YUMA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85365 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | YUMA INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | YUM |
| 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 | 213 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 8 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5038 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 17 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47665 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N90187 |
| NTSB Number | LAX92IA390 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | McDonnell Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | MD-11 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | MD-11 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 48437 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 610000 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MCDONNEL DOUGLASS CORP |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3855 LAKEWOOD BLVD |
| Aircraft Owner City | LONG BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90261 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MCDONNEL DOUGLASS CORP |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3855 LAKEWOOD BLVD |
| Operator City | LONG BEACH |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 90261 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1955 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| 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 | 21 |
| Runway Length | 13299 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |