Air Wisconsin Plane Landed Without Left Main December 14

In its Preliminary Report issued this week, the National Transportation Safety Board notes a Bombardier CRJ200 that landed with its left maingear up at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) December 14 had just been serviced by maintenance workers... during which time they may have failed to properly attach the main gear uplock assembly.

"Maintenance had been performed on both the left and right main landing gear systems prior to the incident flight," reads the Prelim. "Post-incident inspection of the aircraft revealed that, the upper attachment bolt for the left main landing gear uplock assembly, which is designed to be attached to both the uplock mechanism and the structure, was attached to the airplane structure only."

As ANN reported, the Air Wisconsin jet was on a repositioning flight after being serviced in Norfolk, VA. Originally scheduled to depart as a US Airways Express revenue flight, the aircraft was delayed for over three hours on the ground in ORF and passengers were transferred to other flights.

The NTSB report does not explicitly say whether the departure delay was related to the maintenance work on the jet's landing gear. The two pilots and one flight attendant onboard the 50-seat regional jet were unhurt in the emergency landing.

"The flight crew received indications of a left main landing gear problem prior to landing and stated that they completed the applicable Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) procedures, but were unable to lower the left main landing gear," the NTSB notes. "They elected to land with the nose and right main landing gear in the down and locked position and the left main landing gear up."

The on-scene investigation revealed scuff marks to the left wing tip and outboard end of the left aileron, with more extensive damage to the flaps on the left wing, which were ground down from the flap training edge, through the upper and lower skins, to the ribs.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov