front wheel damage

[OnwardandUpward]

Amelie-For example...I spent many flying hours worrying that the people that pushed the plane back might have damaged the landing gear when they hooked up the tug to the front wheel. I was sure that when we touched down the landing gear would collapse. Many flights later it dawned on me that the wheel probably wouldn't have been any good for take off if it had been damaged. I also realized that I had never heard of a plane having this kind of problem.


Amelie, pulled above from another thread, I have been on 2 flights where exactly what you described happened, the plane was being pushed back and the front wheel was damaged. I imagine it is a common enough occurence.

The first time, we were offloaded and had to wait 8 hours for a replacement plane. The second time was a few months back and after an inspection by an engineer we were cleared for take-off.
So the pilot must have to test the wheel after being pushed back and if problems have an engineer
And another one for us to tick off our potential problems:woohoo
Take Care
Chaz

[Passenger Mark]

Chaz,

If the front gear is damaged during push-back, they would notice right away, and the flight would be canceled.

Some might think that the ground crew would not say anything in fear of getting into trouble... they actually know that if something happens, it can easily be traced back to them, and then THEY WILL BE IN TROUBLE!

Even the tow driver is very well trained, and checked out. I was on a SWA flight one time, and the aircraft was pushed back. While we were taxing to the runway we stopped. In a moment we turned around and went back to toward the gate we just left from.

Seems the ground crew found a bolt that appeared to have fallen during push-back. The Captain said he was going back as they had radioed him and told him. They wanted him to take a look at it before they went on.

We went back, parked, jet-way to the door. The Captain came out, and I could see him down below holding, and looking at the item. In sort order he gave it back to the ground crew, came back inside, and we were backing out again.

He advised it was actually a bolt from the tow and not the aircraft. But they wanted to make sure.

Moral of the long story... THEY DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH YOUR SAFETY!

Mark

[Amelia]

OMG Chaz...you're not helping me here. Just when I convinced myself that I was probably paranoid and nothing like that could ever happen...

We need an airline mechanic on this board. I'd love to hear what he/she would have to say about some of my thoughts.:think Amelia (as in Earhart)

[WillFlyToDisney2]

Well, actually.....

Somewhere in my "closet o' pilots" I have an acquaintance that IS an airline mechanic....

List your questions. I'll send them to him!

:)
Kelley

[EditorASC]

You cannot have significant damage to the nose gear, during pushback, which is not immediately obvious. Some part of the nose gear structure would have to be broken or bent, and it is such a strong and rigid structure, that could not occur without immediate visual and sound indicators.

I saw a DC-10, at a gate at SFO some years ago, where the towbar had a defective link which gave way during the pushback. Very loud "bang" sound when it let go.

It broke the nose gear, causing it to fold up. The tug used was one of those long low-boys, which is positioned under the nose of the plane. The driver realized what had happened and he bailed out of his cab just a moment before the nose of the plane came to rest on top of the tug.

It caused a lot of damage to the plane itself, but not much really to the tug----that too is a strong piece of machinery.

Considerable wrinkles in the skin of the lower nose portion of the fuselage of that DC-10. Although there was no real danger to the passengers, they did pop the chutes and evacuated them post haste.

[OnwardandUpward]

Hi Amelie

Sorry for this, my intention was to show that the plane would never takeoff without passing inspection after pushback

Chaz, in "where are those pesky tug drivers when you need them" mode