Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Greensboro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Greensboro, North Carolina 27410
Wednesday, August 2, 1989 10:55 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING APPROACH TO CHARLOTTE, THE MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND. THE FLT DIVERTED TO GREENSBORO. THE RIGHT GEAR EVENTUALLY EXTENDED AFTER APPLYING EXTENSIVE G-FORCES, BUT THE LEFT GEAR WOULD NOT. AFTER LANDING, A 29-INCH WHEEL CHOCK WAS FOUND WEDGED BETWEEN THE RADIUS OF THE LEFT WHEEL WELL AND THE INBOARD WHEEL WHICH PREVENTED THE LEFT GEAR FROM FALLING DOWN. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN POSITIONED SEVERAL TIMES THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND THE MECHANICS RECALLED PLACING THE CHOCKS IN THE WHEEL WELL. AN A-CHECK, AND A WALK-AROUND INSPECTION, HAD BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT'S DEPARTURE FROM WASHINGTON. EACH INSPECTION REQUIRED AN INSPECTION OF THE WHEEL WELL AREA. THE FIRST OFFICER STATED THAT HE DIDN'T SEE THE CHOCK WHICH WAS MARKED WITH YELLOW REFLECTIVE TAPE. A FLASHLIGHT WAS USED DURING THE INSPECTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE LINE MECHANIC, A CHECK MECHANIC, AND FIRST OFFICER TO IDENTIFY AND REMOVE THE WHEEL CHOCK FROM THE WHEEL WELL DURING THE REQUIRED INSPECTIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 8/2/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1055 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | GREENSBORO |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27410 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GREENSBORO |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GSO |
| 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 | 883 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1052 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GSO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 106 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5053 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 2 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40723 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N413US |
| NTSB Number | ATL89IA187 |
| 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 | 737-400 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 737-400 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23882 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 142500 |
| 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 | 154 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 29 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 354 |
| Airframe Hours | 2193 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILMINGTON TRUST CO. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RODNEY SQ NORTH |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19870 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PIEDMONT AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | WASHINGTON |
| Departure State | DC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 820 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | CHARLOTTE |
| Destination State | NC |
| 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 | 23 |
| Runway Length | 10001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |