Inadvertent nose landing gear retraction during pre-flight maintenance
Last Update: July 20, 2021 / 20:25:34 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Jun 18, 2021
Classification
Accident
Airline
British Airways
Aircraft Registration
G-ZBJB
Aircraft Type
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
ICAO Type Designator
B788
Airport
London Heathrow Airport, London
Airport ICAO Code
EGLL
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 (G-ZBJB), was being loaded with cargo in preparation for a flight to Frankfurt, and whilst carrying out a Dispatch Deviation Guide (DDG) procedure to clear maintenance messages relating to an existing Acceptable Deferred Defect (ADD), the Nose Landing Gear (NLG) retracted. This caused damage to the lower nose, NLG doors and engine cowlings. Door 2 left (Door 2L) struck the top platform of the mobile steps, positioned at the door, which resulted in the door separating from the fuselage and one person, operating the cargo loader positioned at the forward cargo hold, received minor injuries.
The DDG procedure required the cockpit landing gear selection lever to be cycled with hydraulic power applied to the aircraft. To prevent the landing gear from retracting, the procedure required pins to be inserted in the nose and main landing gear downlocks. However, the NLG downlock pin was installed in the NLG downlock apex pin bore which was adjacent to the correct location to install the downlock pin. When the landing gear selector was cycled the NLG retracted.
An Airworthiness Directive had been issued, with a 36-month compliance from 16 January 2020, to install an insert over the apex pin bore to prevent incorrect installation of the downlock pin, but this had not yet been implemented on G-ZBJB.
This report is licensed as OGL v3.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Jun 18, 2021
Classification
Accident
Airline
British Airways
Aircraft Registration
G-ZBJB
Aircraft Type
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
ICAO Type Designator
B788
Airport
London Heathrow Airport, London
Airport ICAO Code
EGLL
© AeroInside
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Fleet type match
British Airways B788 at London on Jan 15th 2018, cracked windshield
A British Airways Boeing 787-800, registration G-ZBJB performing flight BA-225 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to New Orleans,LA (USA), was climbing out…
Fleet type match
British Airways A320 near London on Oct 1st 2021, fumes in cockpit
A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-EUYO performing flight BA-2678 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Dubrovnik (Croatia), was climbing…
Fleet type match
British Airways A319 near London on Aug 6th 2021, avionics issues
A British Airways Airbus A319-100, registration G-DBCF performing flight BA-1441 from Edinburgh,SC to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was just about to…
Fleet type match
British Airways A20N near London on Jul 9th 2021, hydraulic fault
A British Airways Airbus A320-200N, registration G-TTNF performing flight BA-621 from Larnaca (Cyprus) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was descending…
Fleet type match
British Airways B772 at London on Jun 11th 2021, rejected takeoff due to unreliable speeds
A British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-YMMR performing flight BA-81 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Accra (Ghana), was accelerating for…
Fleet type match
British Airways B789 near London on Oct 1st 2020, passenger seat smoking
A British Airways Boeing 787-9, registration G-ZBKF performing flight BA-206 (dep Sep 30th) from Miami,FL (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 53…
Newest articles
GOL B738 at Porto Seguro on Oct 19th 2021, smoke in cabin
A GOL Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GXT performing flight G3-1603 from Porto Seguro,BA to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) with…
Fleet type match
Yakutia B738 at Naberezhnye Chelny on Oct 20th 2021, cabin did not pressurize
A Yakutia Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration VQ-BMP performing flight R3-9664 from Naberezhnye Chelny to Barnaul (Russia), was climbing through…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner
A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.
Train yourself online in VR with the special course for aviation: "Crisis Communications: Airlines". Find out more.
Get updates
Never miss an article from AeroInside. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and join 4774 existing subscribers.
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways