Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Detroit Metro Wayne Co. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Detroit, Michigan 48242
Friday, September 20, 1991 18:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE INCIDENT AIRPLANE LANDED WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. THE LANDING GEAR HAD FAILED TO RETRACT PROPERLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN THE AREA OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WHILE THE CREW, IN CONCERT WITH COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER, UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT AND RESTORE THE LANDING GEAR TO WORKING ORDER. THEY LANDED BACK AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WITH CRASH FIRE RESCUE EQUIPMENT STANDING BY. FIRE TRUCKS APPLIED FOAM TO THE LEFT WING AND WHEEL AREA AFTER THE AIRPLANE STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY. AFTER LANDING THE CREW AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRPLANE USING THE AIRCRAFT AIRSTAIRS. INSPECTION OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) REVEALED THE LANDING GEAR TRUCKS HAD BEEN CAPTURED AND SUSPENDED IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BY THE LEFT MAIN GEAR INBOARD DOOR ASSEMBLY. EXAMINATION OF THE MLG DOOR ACTUATOR FITTING SHOWED THE ACTUATOR HAD MOVED TO THE FAR END OF THE AVAILABLE ADJUSTMENT RANGE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. A FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT IS INADEQUATE DESIGN OF THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR BY THE MANUFACTURER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 9/20/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1840 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | DETROIT |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48242 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DETROIT METRO WAYNE CO. |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DTW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 639 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1730 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 1 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 639 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 136 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5030 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45740 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N88704 |
| NTSB Number | CHI91IA297 |
| 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 | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 727-224 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 727-224 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 19513 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 142000 |
| 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 | 134 |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 26 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 79 S. MAIN ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84111 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CONTINENTAL AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2929 ALLEN PARKWAY |
| Operator City | HOUSTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 77019 |
| Operator Code | CALA |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1618 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DEN |
| Destination City | DENVER |
| Destination State | CO |
| 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 | 3 |
| Runway Length | 12000 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |