Two hours before flight, Air India aircraft’s nose wheel gear collapses

Mumbai: The nose wheel gear of a Dubai-bound Air India Boeing 777 collapsed today around 1.30 pm, two hours before it was bound to take off, the second incident involving the airline’s aircraft in two days at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. An engineer carrying out maintenance work under the aircraft’s belly had a narrow escape.
The incident occurred when the aircraft was still in the maintenance area, at Bay 48. “It’s a leased aircraft and not owned by Air India,” said an Air India spokesperson. “Prima facie, the nose gear seems to have collapsed but the plane was still in the maintenance area while designated to fly to Dubai.”
He said nobody was injured in the incident.
It is standard procedure for engineers to carry out maintenance tests on a departing plane. Sources said the plane’s landing lever, known technically as a retraction lever, was put into the ‘retract’ position forcing the front wheel of the plane to collapse while it was still standing. The landing lever is put into this position once the aircraft hits airspace, allowing the wheels of the plane to retract into the aircraft.
While an aircraft engineer named Panchal was testing the plane from the cockpit, it was ground engineer Manoj Nair, under its belly, who reportedly saw the plane vibrating violently. He escaped unhurt, narrowly. The Dubai-bound plane, the AI 717, is a Boeing 777 and among the new aircraft in Air India’s stable, leased from the United Airlines.
The airline spokesperson said the two engineers concerned have been suspended pending an inquiry.
17/05/08 Mumbai Newsline

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Categories: Air India - International May 2008, Airports May 2008, NACIL May 2008, Safety May 2008