Gear Collapsed, Plane Skidded Off Runway At Dulles

Federal investigators are trying to figure out what happened aboard a United Express Saab 340 that caused one of its main landing gears to collapse. The aircraft, with 31 people on board, skidded off the runway at Dulles International Airport Wednesday night. No one was hurt.

A United spokesman told the Washington Post that, just prior to landing, the pilot lowered his gear and noticed one of the mains failed to lock into position. The pilot received permission to fly by the tower so controllers could get a look. The gear was down, "But they had no idea if it could hold," United's Jeff Green told the Post.

The flight crew spent several more minutes troubleshooting the problem.

The aircraft touched down on 19L at Dulles around 2145 Wednesday. The right main immediately collapsed, according to airport officials. The aircraft skidded down the runway, then veered off to the left side, winding up in a grassy area adjacent to the landing strip.

All 27 passengers and one lap child were evacuated from the main door of the aircraft, as the Saab 340 was met by Dulles-based emergency crews.

The mishap comes one day after a DOT Inspector General's report was released, highly critical of the FAA for the way it inspects outside maintenance shops. More than half of all commercial passenger aircraft are now maintained under contract rather than by company mechanics.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: UNK        Make/Model: SF34      Description: SF-340
  Date: 06/08/2005     Time: 0137

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: CHANTILLY   State: VA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  SHUTTLE AMERICA, REGISTRATION UNKNOWN, A SAAB SF340 ACFT, RIGHT MAIN
  LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LANDING, THE PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANED ON THE
  RUNWAY, NO INJURIES REPORTED, DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN, WASHINGTON-DULLES AIRPORT,
  VA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0    Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    0    Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:          Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Landing      Operation: Air Carrier

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: WASHINGTON IAD, DC  (EA27)            Entry date: 06/09/2005

FMI: www.ntsb.gov