Passengers aboard a Northwest Airlines' Airbus A320 that ground to a halt on the runway in Fargo, North Dakota on the night of 20 October, after a nosewheel malfunction, were not warned about a possible abnormal landing despite the crew’s efforts to troubleshoot the problem while circling the airport before attempting to land.
The aircraft landed with its nosewheel cocked 90º, causing minor damage and no injuries to the 138 passengers and crew on board flight NW1432.
The incident resembles a number of other A320 nosewheel anomalies, including a 2005 JetBlue flight that had departed Burbank, California for New York Kennedy. In that case, the crew prepared the cabin for an emergency landing at Los Angeles International airport. The US National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate both incidents.
Also similar were the fault indications received by the crew. According to NTSB lead investigator Pam Sullivan, the Northwest crew received a braking and steering control unit channel two failure message shortly after take-off, then a landing gear shock absorber fault after lowering the landing gear when nearing Fargo.
Sullivan says the pilots discussed the issue with Northwest maintenance control, and ultimately decided to attempt a landing. “They knew they had a problem,” she says, “but they weren’t aware it was a nosewheel at 90º.
Northwest says the pilots did receive fault messages, but says there was no indication that the nosewheel was not centred.
According to a passenger who contacted Flight, the pilot told passengers the issue had been fixed before the landing attempt was made. The touchdown was normal until the nosewheel contacted the runway, says the passenger, after which there was a loud “WAAAAAAHHH” sound.
The passenger, who asked not to be identified, says the pilot then came on the intercom with “a really anxious voice” telling those in the cabin to stay calm and remain seated, after which there was a smell of burning rubber or smoke in the main cabin. Then fire crews descended on the aircraft, spraying down the front of the A320 with fire retardant.
When the pilot exited the cabin about 5min later, he was greeted with applause by the passengers, Flight is told. He later walked down the aisle checking the condition of each passenger, before all were deplaned down portable steps, filing into a waiting line of taxi vans. Each was given vouchers for a free round trip flight, according to the passenger.
The account contrasts with a version of the event relayed by a Northwest Airlines spokesman last week: “My understanding in terms of awareness from passengers and crew, it was a relatively smooth landing and most of the people on board were not aware that there was anything out of the ordinary.”
Source: FlightGlobal.com
