Airbus A320neo lands with nose landing gear rotated 90 degrees
IFA Comment: The AIRBUS A320neo is a new aircraft type. This is surely a technical issue for continuing airworthiness discussions between Airbus and EASA.
A Pegasus Airlines Airbus A320neo (TC-NBH) has landed at an airport in France with its nose gear twisted by 90 degrees in an incident similar to one in LAX some years ago.
The flight (PC939) had operated from Istanbul to Basel-Mulhouse where it landed and due to the position of the landing gear, it burst both tyres.
No-one was injured in the incident and the aircraft came to a stop safely on the runway.
In 2005, a JetBlue Airbus A320 landed with an almost identical problem at Los Angeles LAX airport.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JetBlue_Flight_292
https://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20050927X01540&akey=1
1.17 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
Airbus issued Operations Engineering Bulletin (OEB) 175-1 (post Flight Warning Computer standard E3) and OEB 176 (Flight Warning Computer standard E2) in October 2005. This provided a procedure for the flight crew to reset the BSCU in flight. It discussed steps to take if the L/G SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT ECAM message was triggered at any time in flight and the WHEEL N/W STRG FAULT ECAM caution light illuminated after landing gear extension. Under those conditions, it noted that the flight crew could reset the BSCU when all landing gear doors indicated closed on the ECAM WHEEL page. Successful NLG centering and nosewheel steering recovery would be indicated if the WHEEL N/W STRG FAULT ECAM light was no longer illuminated. FAA AD 2005-24-06 and EASA AD 2006-0174 were subsequently issued to perform a NLG shock absorber charge pressure check and a repetitive borescope inspection of NLG upper support/cylinder lugs to mitigate the fatigue cracks that were induced by the BSCU Standard L4.5 (or earlier EMM standards). Furthermore, FAA AD 2007-18-19 was issued to supersede FAA AD 2005-24-06 and defines the related investigative/corrective actions referencing Airbus SB A320-32-1310. The SB A320-32-1310 introduces a modified and more robust upper support. The FAA AD 2007-18-09 also provides optional terminating action for repetitive inspections.
RETROFIT
Airbus issued new software standards L4.8 (sb a320-32-1305) and L4.9B that cancelled OEBs 175 and 176. BSCU standard 4.8 reduced the number of pre-landing test cycles to eight per flight, which they felt reduced the likelihood of fatigue. Standard 4.9B has no effective pre-landing test cycles to induce fatigue. Airbus made a design change to the upper support assembly and provided specific inspection requirements at NLG overhaul. They consider those changes plus incorporation of Standard 4.9B to be terminating action for this issue.
