AAIB investigation to Boeing 787-8, G-ZBJB
Inadvertent Nose Landing Gear retraction while parked on stand, London Heathrow Airport Stand 583, 18 June 2021.
Summary:
The aircraft was on stand being prepared for a cargo flight from London Heathrow to Frankfurt. A ground maintenance team was working to address three fault messages associated with the Nose Landing Gear (NLG) doors while the flight crew prepared the aircraft for the flight. The Dispatch Deviation Guide confirmed that rectification of the defects could be deferred to a later date providing the landing gear was recycled to confirm the NLG doors functioned correctly. To prevent the landing gear from retracting when up was selected, the landing gear downlock pins were fitted. However, when the lead engineer selected the landing gear lever to up, the NLG retracted. The aircraft’s nose struck the ground causing significant damage to the lower front section of the aircraft and inflicting minor injuries on the co-pilot and one of the cargo loading team.
The NLG downlock pin had inadvertently been inserted in the downlock link assembly apex pin bore instead of the downlock pin hole. The design of the aircraft nose landing gear downlock assembly created an opportunity for error when inserting the NLG locking pin, with two holes located so close together that the pin could be inadvertently inserted in the incorrect location. A Service Bulletin and Airworthiness Directive was available that would have prevented the accident, but this had not yet been completed on G-ZBJB.
The operator and the airport have introduced a number of Safety Actions which cover the adoption of corrective modifications to the aircraft, changes to maintenance and incident response procedures.
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Special Bulletin:
A Special Bulletin concerning this report was published on 14 July 2021.
Download Special Bulletin:
Special Bulletin S1/2021: Boeing 787-8, G-ZBJB