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`Forgetful' engineers put plane in peril, grounded
New Delhi : Two Air India engineers were grounded on Monday as they reportedly “forgot“ to remove pins from landing gear which ensure that wheels of an aircraft on ground do not accidentally retract while clearing a plane to take off. Due to this, the pilots could not retract the wheels on getting airborne and had to return to soon after take off. This unprecedented lapse took place on Monday when an AI aircraft was being prepared at Delhi for flying to Kochi. “The plane was cleared to take… (epaperbeta.timesofindia.com) Más...
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Agreed
Pretty sure you're supposed to put the gear down to land (unless you forget that too) and plane flies just fine. Geez.
LOL... You are supposed to.. Unless you are intentionally landing on water.... I have always heard it says you can tell that you forgot to put your gear down when it takes A LOT more power to taxi to the gate! :)
Unless that water landing is on a rain covered runway.
I'm sure it does, although I never landed gear up. Being older and forgetful I now fly a fixed gear. Gear down for takeoff, cruise, and landing(land or water). Problem solved.
As reported in our local newspaper, an old pilot landed his Republic SeaBee gear-up. Also reported, New Hampshire mechanics replaced his brass (!) keel plate, and sent him on his way. Quote from SeaBee site: "Interestingly, a gear-up landing on concrete shaves about one-thirty-second of an inch off the keel".
Sounds about right.. How about the ERJ-145 years ago, Gear Handle down, 3 Green, but had a "Gear Handle Disagree" Message. Touched down on the flaps and belly and did a successful go around. Cycled the gear and made a good successful landing.
Check out Boston Login American Airlines:
http://savannahgroup.site.nfoservers.com/american_airlines_gearupLanding-2.jpg
http://savannahgroup.site.nfoservers.com/american_airlines_gearupLanding.jpg
The Fault was traced to faulty firmware in the PSEU (Proximity Switching Unit). Firmware update no fix, Crew letter at the time was anytime they got the message to cycle the gear and do a fly-by to confirm gear was down. I am not sure if they have gotten a permanent fix, but I have not heard of this issue in a very very long time.
This Proves gear up Touch And Goes are possible, but Highly not recommended! :)
Check out Boston Login American Airlines:
http://savannahgroup.site.nfoservers.com/american_airlines_gearupLanding-2.jpg
http://savannahgroup.site.nfoservers.com/american_airlines_gearupLanding.jpg
The Fault was traced to faulty firmware in the PSEU (Proximity Switching Unit). Firmware update no fix, Crew letter at the time was anytime they got the message to cycle the gear and do a fly-by to confirm gear was down. I am not sure if they have gotten a permanent fix, but I have not heard of this issue in a very very long time.
This Proves gear up Touch And Goes are possible, but Highly not recommended! :)
sparkie624, you are very astute. I was teaching the ERJ-145 in class at that time but not with that airline and remember it well. I was with Republic (Chautauqua). I used the event as a class example to analyze. Republic also had an ERJ-170 whose nose gear would not deploy at KIAD (Dulles). The gear handle would not come up on takeoff at KIAH (Houston), so the procedure was to push the override button to get the handle up. Well, the gear retracted but caused the nose gear to retract into the wheel well in a cocked position and it became stuck there. The crew did a perfect landing without the nose wheel at Dulles and evacuated on the runway. The tail was so high, passengers came down the slide like greased pigs. The first one off actually jumped and hit the slide halfway down. These electrical sensors (proximity sensors) and the associated software have a tendency to not perform.
There are other things not to forget... I know one old fellow on a Twin Comanche on take off roll for a charter... Both engines failed right before rotation... Forgot to fuel the a/c before departing! Maybe verifying fuel should be a required checklist item before take off :)
Fuel is part of flight planning and preflight. Lots of gotchas in aviation. I remember discussing with Preacher the possible causes for the crash of the twin near my house here in western Ky. We were all wrong. It was a fuel gotcha. Both engines pulling from same tank from takeoff. Plenty of fuel in other tank.
Gear pins are left in on a bit too frequent basis, and is hardly cause for "peril". There's clear indication in the cockpit that the gear are not retracted and, depending on the rig/adjustment of the sensors plus the logic of the indication system, the gear may still indicate down and locked.
Keep in mind that the first test flights of a new aircraft, the gear is not retracted. The plane flies just fine, comes back and lands safely, and everyone opens the champagne and celebrates. The planes are certainly quite capable of flight with gear extended. There are operational limits (speed and fuel burn considerations) to take into account, but I'd hardly characterize those as placing the flight "in peril". "Inconvenience" is a far more accurate term.