Author Topic: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI  (Read 48501 times)

Offline Hollis

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DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« on: May 07, 2009, 02:44:37 PM »
LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) — A charter airplane flying soldiers into a Maryland airport blew its front tire while landing and five crew members have been taken to a hospital for evaluation.

The World Airways DC10 landed around 1 p.m. Wednesday at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and blew a tire on the front nose gear. Airport spokesman Jonathan Dean said none of the 168 soldiers aboard was injured.

The plane was grounded on the runway for roughly two hours and the passengers got on shuttle buses to the terminal.

After the tire was replaced about 3:30 p.m., Dean said the airport reopened the runway. He said there was minimal disruption to other flights.





Offline cessna157

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2009, 03:29:30 PM »
Wow, sounds like they had all kinds of stuff go wrong.  Being a DC-10, I'd assume they don't have glass.  But it sounds like they lost their HSI and were turning with their magnetic compass.  I don't really understand how there were injuries from this, but obviously all of the facts haven't come in yet.

Offline cessna157

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2009, 03:31:34 PM »
Ironically enough, as I post this, all 3 of the DC airports are shut down due to weather.

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2009, 07:57:07 PM »
I noticed a couple of puzzling items.

At about the 6:00 mark, they reference "liquid off the right main". Did they hit something? that seems odd for a blown nose wheel.

Also, as cessna157 referenced, at about the 6:30 mark control says they "are bringing up the ILS for 33L now". And at 6:40, the pilot says they "are down to our whiskey compass".

So if I am hearing this right, they blew a nose tire, are leaking some sort of fluid, and have no navigational instrumentation? What happend here?   :? 
« Last Edit: May 07, 2009, 07:59:48 PM by joeyb747 »

Offline atcman23

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2009, 07:15:47 AM »
The warranty must have expired the day before.

Offline ect76

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2009, 01:05:47 PM »
Haha, I think with it being a DC-10 the warranty expired a long time ago!  :-D Although I see the joke  :wink:

I was also puzzled by the references to fluid and nav instruments. Anyone have any more info? Also, was the clip skipping for anyone else or is my laptop in a mood with me?
« Last Edit: May 08, 2009, 01:08:02 PM by ect76 »

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2009, 10:35:43 PM »
Haha, I think with it being a DC-10 the warranty expired a long time ago!  :-D Although I see the joke  :wink:

I was also puzzled by the references to fluid and nav instruments. Anyone have any more info? Also, was the clip skipping for anyone else or is my laptop in a mood with me?

It was skipping on me too...so don't distroy your laptop!  :wink:

Offline cessna157

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2009, 11:33:39 AM »
The warranty must have expired the day before.

I would have expected a strange occurrence like this from an airbus, not an American made plane.

Offline Qantas119

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2009, 07:46:20 PM »
I'm not sure but correct me if I'm wrong here but all of the commercially serving DC-10-30's were replaced by the innovative Boeing 777?

So i agree the warranty must have expired... long long ago :-)

Offline ect76

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2009, 08:56:53 PM »
Not all - There are a few charter airlines (I.E. World) still using the DC-10 for charters and there are many, many out there in cargo ops (FedEx and many more).

Some airlines in other parts of the world are still flying the 10, and not all were replaced with 777s...Some would have been, yes, but many would be replaced with Airbii and any other of the fine widebody aircraft in production out there. It was up to the airline what they replaced it with - Your post makes it sound like EVERY 10 was replaced with a triple!  :-D

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2009, 10:24:35 PM »
World Airways operates several variants of DC-10-30.

Here is DC-10-30 N137WA (cn 48282/355) in all pax config:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/World-Airways/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-10-30/1466778/L/&sid=845c7739f6d94e6f8479631f17a58b32

Here is DC-10-30(F) N303WL (cn 46917/211) in all cargo config:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/World-Airways-Cargo/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-10-30(F)/1423173/L/&sid=845c7739f6d94e6f8479631f17a58b32

And, even though most of these have been WDU, World did operate quite a few "CF" variants, or "Convertable Freighter", meaning they could be converted to freighter, passenger, or a mix combination setup, depending on need. Many of these are not needed any longer as many main-line airlines such as United and Continental retire their DC-10-30s, providing a surplus of airplanes. Here is World Airways DC-10-30CF N107WA (cn 46836/280) seen in 1983. If you look closely at the forward section, in the "ORLD" portion of the tittle, you can see the outline of the cargo door. Also note this bird has all of her windows uncovered. A classic looking scheme as well!

http://www.airliners.net/photo/World-Airways/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-10-30CF/1305584/L/&sid=845c7739f6d94e6f8479631f17a58b32

Enjoy the pics!  :-D
« Last Edit: May 11, 2009, 10:26:24 PM by joeyb747 »

Offline king friday

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2009, 11:41:08 PM »
I was working at BWI the day this took place...trust me, there was plenty more that happened than a blown nose wheel.

Offline cessna157

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2009, 05:31:21 AM »
I was working at BWI the day this took place...trust me, there was plenty more that happened than a blown nose wheel.

Oh come on, you can't just say something like that without more information.

That's kinda like:
"So this one day I was up flying, and something happened"

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2009, 10:32:37 AM »
I was working at BWI the day this took place...trust me, there was plenty more that happened than a blown nose wheel.

Oh come on, you can't just say something like that without more information.

That's kinda like:
"So this one day I was up flying, and something happened"

Yea...no kidding! Come on with the good stuff!  :wink:

Offline sjknowles

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2009, 06:34:16 PM »
I was on this 6 May 09 emergency landing flight into BWI and found this forum in a therapeutic effort to try and get more information about what went wrong on our landing(s). I've found myself growing angrier everyday about how little info has been made readily available, specifically the public news articles that reported this as a rather mundane "tire blown on landing" story with no follow-up. 

What I can tell you with firsthand knowledge is the flight was returning military members, most of whom had just finished 4-6 month tours in support of OIF & OEF. We got onboard in Qatar and picked up this aircrew in Leipzig Germany.

I personally recall an initial MLG touchdown that was so violent we bounced up and for a small moment in time were in a zero-g environment before the acft came back down hard for the second time on its MLG... quickly followed by the nose of the acft slamming onto the runway with such force that the front of the plane bounced back up while various paneling from inside the acft began to come loose and either fall on top of us or swing suspended by their electrical connections. The SEVERE nose impact jolted the emergency oxygen masks loose from several of the seat backs and caused the aircrew cabin security door to be jarred open. This pilot then throttled up the engines as this first landing attempt sequence was sending us drifting/pitching/rolling so far right of center runway that those on the left could see the yellow center line while those on the right began to shout alarmingly about the wing being in the grass. This is what I saw from row 6.

Somehow we got airborne again, and what followed was 10 minutes or so of absolute helpless uncertainty about our immediate future in a passenger cabin that smelled of electrical fire. Some passengers commented on smoke coming up from under their seats as the flight attendant passed back a fire extinguisher that thankfully did not have to be used. The initial panic amongst the all military passenger base was quickly subdued by the fact that we were again airborne, but with a sickening concern/uncertainty of the acft’s structural integrity. Then began the silence as most prayed, some held hands, and others wept… I think it’s safe to say most of us (me included) sat in anticipation and pondered the irony of surviving a war 6,000 miles away only to meet our maker while landing back in the US.

As we came in for the second/final landing, the flight attendants began to repeatedly chant in unison for us grab our ankles and lower our heads. Seconds prior to touchdown, the pilot gave the brace for impact, brace for impact, brace for impact command. We landed so smooth… in comparison, it made no sense.

Multiple trained military medical personnel on board responded to one injured male flight attendant (severe back pain) before he was expedited off on a back board via the fire truck ladder.

After the waiting we were shuttled to the terminal, cleared customs and waited an hour or so for our luggage.

At this time, the standard military gag order was issued to the masses as we were informed that the news media was waiting for us. We all did our part, shaking the hands and thanking the wonderful USO reps and past American war veterans awaiting us while stating to the news media that any questions should be routed through Bolling AFB’s Public Affairs office and how we were just glad to be home.

Try keeping 160+ John Q. Publics silent and away from lawyers immediately following this “blown nose landing gear tire” landing.

The included web link has a very interesting thread that alludes to this acft likely being a total write off due to severe structural damage and to which it’s stated the supporting photos will not be released until a later date. 

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4405287/1/#1

If anyone has information regarding how it is we seemed to initially grossly misjudge our altitude on the first landing attempt, then land so perfectly during the ensuing emergency situation, please let me know. Right now the NTSB and FAA web sites have little to no info for flight WO8535, WOA8535, WO-8535, or N139WA – perhaps when the investigation is done.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2009, 07:19:50 PM by sjknowles »

Offline Qantas119

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2009, 12:18:43 PM »
Well i can tell you that the pilot did the right thing (Go-Around) instead of trying to save the landing, putting all of you lives in the balance...
Example:

looks like a Boeing 747SP
can't tell if he just over ran or biffed a landing?

Your first hand experience sounds like hell on earth (terror from below).

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2009, 09:17:27 PM »
Here is a pic of the airplane involved in the incident McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N139WA (cn 46583):

http://www.airliners.net/photo/World-Airways/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-10-30/1525507/L/&sid=fba644448a90ece5afe889efe720cdff

Good looking bird! I miss the DC-10! NWA used to run -40 series out of DTW all the time...all but gone now... :cry:

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2010, 08:04:23 PM »
"The NTSB released their final report concluding the probable cause of the accident was:

the captain’s inappropriate control inputs following a firm landing, resulting in two hard nose-gear impacts before executing a go-around.

Contributing to the inappropriate control inputs was the captain’s fatigue and physical discomfort; and a possible lack of practical consolidation of skills and experience due to a protracted and fragmented training period."


From:

http://avherald.com/h?article=4193c587/0000&opt=0

Offline johnm1019

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #18 on: October 01, 2010, 04:30:01 AM »
Wow.  Thanks for the follow-up here.  Sorry to hear that so many John Q's were gagged until this release.

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #19 on: October 01, 2010, 07:49:30 AM »
Wow.  Thanks for the follow-up here. 
:wink: No problem!

Offline sjknowles

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #20 on: October 14, 2010, 05:34:30 AM »
Finally some insight... guess I was right on the injury, wrong on the crew member.

http://avherald.com/h?article=4193c587/0000&opt=0

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20090507X00926&key=1

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/Response2.asp


Friendly reminder to all to go hug their family/friends...

Offline gatorbuc99

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #21 on: October 22, 2010, 11:54:29 AM »
Any pictures of N139WA after the incident?

Offline iskyfly

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2010, 02:51:11 PM »
Yes. Photos, video, CVR and much more available in the docket.

And ATC audio.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2010, 02:55:32 PM by iskyfly »

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2010, 08:03:08 PM »
Yes. Photos, video, CVR and much more available in the docket.

And ATC audio.

Here is the docket:

http://www.ntsb.gov/Dockets/Aviation/DCA09FA048/default.htm

Offline joeyb747

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Re: DC-10 blows nose gear tire on landing at BWI
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2010, 08:19:15 PM »
Any pictures of N139WA after the incident?

This report in particular has a ton of photos, showing, in detail, the damaged areas on N139WA.

http://www.ntsb.gov/Dockets/Aviation/DCA09FA048/436983.pdf