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  • A 48-tonnes pin

    Aviation Herald - News, Incidents and Accidents in Aviation

    An Air France flight 521 was climbing out of Cape Town when upon retracting the landing gear the nose gear remained extended.

    The French BEA reported ithat maintenance detected the nose gear safety pin had not been removed. The aircraft dumped about 47.8 tons of fuel and returned to Cape Town. South Africa's CAA have opened an investigation into the occurrence rated a serious incident.

    --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
    --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

  • #2
    Oops. A little surprised its a 'serious incident' though.

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    • #3
      Isn't there a big red REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT flag on these? Isn't there something called a walkaround before departure? Isn't the ground crew also looking for these flags? It seems like a perfect alignment of many cheese slices here.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by MCM View Post
        Oops. A little surprised its a 'serious incident' though.
        It was my first thought too. However, then I imagined the same mistake could be done with a pitot cover instead of a gear pin, and suddenly it looked more serious.

        --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
        --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

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        • #5
          Originally posted by MCM View Post
          Oops. A little surprised its a 'serious incident' though.
          Depends on whether or not you're the one paying for the fuel !
          If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

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          • #6
            Better the gear stayed down than the gear wouldn't go down?

            Hey, that the first "glass half full" thing I've said in ages.
            Live, from a grassy knoll somewhere near you.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by guamainiac View Post
              Better the gear stayed down than the gear wouldn't go down?

              Hey, that the first "glass half full" thing I've said in ages.
              Full of dumped fuel, yes

              --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
              --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Evan View Post
                Isn't there a big red REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT flag on these? Isn't there something called a walkaround before departure? Isn't the ground crew also looking for these flags? It seems like a perfect alignment of many cheese slices here.
                yes there is a red flag. at least in the airports i've been to, the ground crew stands n front or off to the side of the cockpit and shows the pin/flag to the crew prior to walking away. it is always the tug operating crew and the removal is done after the tug is disconnected.

                the pin is supposed to be in when the walk around is done, since this is before pushback.

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                • #9
                  Not quite TeeVee.

                  The pin you see there is the Steering Bypass (lockout) pin which is designed to allow a tug to safely push back the aircraft. It is not the same as the gear down lock pins which prevent the gear from retracting.

                  It is generally accepted at most airlines that a pilot will not do a walk around with the pins still in place, and if they do need to be in place for some reason (hydraulic issues with unserviceable APU might be an example) then they will, like the bypass pin, be displayed visually to the pilot before taxi.

                  We also require a maintenance log entry every time they are installed and removed... Another way to try and stop this happening.

                  Gabriel - the pitot covers are usually very easy to see. The gear pins are in a less obvious location, although they do have long tails so they should be easily spotted. If the tail fell off though, it would be very difficult to see the pin, unlike the pitot covers.

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                  • #10
                    My guess would be that the flag was perhaps "pinned" (no pun intended), to the strut (by wind ?) and wasn't out swinging in the breeze as it normally would be. With the flag fluttering, it's pretty hard to miss.

                    Either way, it's no excuse, if it was an elevator or other control surface lock the consequences are simple .... disaster.

                    Now, someone should engineer a lock out device for the tugs where they won't operate if all the pins aren't in place for push back. That will never happen and then someone would just install a few "permanent" pins.
                    Live, from a grassy knoll somewhere near you.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by MCM View Post
                      Not quite TeeVee.

                      The pin you see there is the Steering Bypass (lockout) pin which is designed to allow a tug to safely push back the aircraft. It is not the same as the gear down lock pins which prevent the gear from retracting.

                      It is generally accepted at most airlines that a pilot will not do a walk around with the pins still in place, and if they do need to be in place for some reason (hydraulic issues with unserviceable APU might be an example) then they will, like the bypass pin, be displayed visually to the pilot before taxi.

                      We also require a maintenance log entry every time they are installed and removed... Another way to try and stop this happening.

                      Gabriel - the pitot covers are usually very easy to see. The gear pins are in a less obvious location, although they do have long tails so they should be easily spotted. If the tail fell off though, it would be very difficult to see the pin, unlike the pitot covers.
                      thanks for the edumacation!

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