Date & Time:
May 23, 2001 at 1504 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker 100
Operator:
Registration:
N1419D
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Charlotte – Dallas
MSN:
11402
YOM:
1992
Flight number:
AA1107
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
88
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total hours on type:
3600
Copilot / Total hours on type:
302
Aircraft flight hours:
21589
Circumstances:
During landing touchdown, following a stabilized approach, the right main landing gear failed. The airplane remained controllable by the pilots and came to a stop on the runway, resting on its right wing. The DFW Fire Department arrived at the accident site in 35 seconds and, following communication between the airplane's Captain and Fire Department's Incident Commander, it was decided that an emergency evacuation of the airplane was not necessary. Examination revealed that the right main gear's outer cylinder had fractured allowing the lower portion of the gear (including the wheel assembly) to separate from the airplane. Research, examination & testing of the cylinder revealed that a forging fold was introduced into the material during the first stage of its forging process. The first stage is a hand operation, therefore the quality is highly dependent on the person performing the hand operation. Following the first landing, the forging fold became a surface breaking crack, due to the normal loads imposed during landing. Although growth of the fatigue crack was suppressed by crack blunting, high load landings resulted in growth of the fatigue crack. Subsequently, the landing gear failed when the crack had reached a critical length. Additionally, the airplane's maintenance records were reviewed and no anomalies were found.
Probable cause:
A forging fold that was introduced during the manufacture of the right main landing, which resulted in a fatigue crack in the right main landing gear cylinder, and its subsequent failure during landing.
Final Report:
N1419D.pdf112.14 KB
