John F Kennedy Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

New York, New York 11430
Sunday, July 29, 1990 17:57 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE FLIGHT CREW WAS UNABLE TO GET A DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION OF THE NOSE GEAR AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF BOTH NORMAL AND EMERGENCY EXTENSION. IN ADDITION, THE NOSE GEAR VIEW WINDOW WAS DIRTY, AND THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN, AND THEY RECEIVED CONFLICTING GROUND REPORTS ABOUT WHETHER 0R NOT IT WAS DOWN. DURING LANDING, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED A BOGUS PART INSTALLED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOWN LOCK ACTUATOR WHICH JAMMED, PREVENTING FULL EXTENSION. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR VIEW WINDOW WAS NOT A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION ITEM. INTERVIEWS WITH THE FLT CREW DISCLOSED THEY ATTEMPTED AN EXTENSION FOR TOTAL HYDRAULIC FAILURE AND THEN RESET THE SELECTOR VALVE PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. WHEN THE VALVE WAS RESET, THE PRESSURE ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR THAT WAS OBTAINED BY USING THE HAND PUMP WAS RELEASED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FLIGHT CREW'S FAILURE TO FOLLLOW THE LANDING GEAR EMERGENCY CHECKLIST. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: A JAMMED NOSE LANDING GEAR DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF A BOGUS PART BY UNKNOWN PERSON(S) AND A DIRTY GEAR VIEWING WINDOW.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 7/29/1990
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1757
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NEW YORK
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 11430
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport JOHN F KENNEDY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID JFK
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 13
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 Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
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) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
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) --
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 45
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5024
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 29 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42995
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N175RA
NTSB Number NYC90IA178
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 DE HAVILLAND
Aircraft Model DHC-7-102
Aircraft Series Identifier DHC-7-102
Aircraft Serial Number 56
Certified Max Gross Weight 44000
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 54
Number of Engines 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name UNKNOWN
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PAN AM EXPRESS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT
Operator City PHILADELPHIA
Operator State PA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 19114
Operator Code
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/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BOS
Departure City BOSTON
Departure State MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1530
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
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 13L
Runway Length 10000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --