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| Date: | Thursday 1 February 1996 |
| Time: | 16:05 LT |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 |
| Owner/operator: | Valujet Airlines |
| Registration: | N903VJ |
| MSN: | 47261/411 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3078 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W JT8D-7B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 80 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Nashville, TN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Atlanta, GA (KATL) |
| (KBNA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During landing, the right main landing gear shock strut cylinder and piston failed which caused the axle, wheels, and tires to separate. Metallurgical examination showed that the fracture surfaces had been damaged after separation. Two areas on the cylinder fracture face were not at an angle to suggest overstress separation, and ratchet marks were present which usually separate initiation sights on offset fracture planes. The piston fracture surfaces had features typical of overstress separation. The right main landing torque links had failed during landing 312 flight hours before this accident. The torque links, shimmy damper, and piston were replaced at that time; the cylinder was not replaced.
Probable Cause: the failure of the right main landing gear shock strut cylinder due to preexisting fractures. Contributing to the accident was: the failure of the operator to inspect the shock strut cylinder for fractures following a previous failure of the torque links, and the absence of specific directives and procedures from the aircraft manufacturer to inspect or replace the shock strut cylinder following torque link failure.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ATL96FA043
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Mar-2024 06:46 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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