Emerald AT72 at Edinburgh and Dublin on Oct 31st 2023, dropped nose wheel on departure
Last Update: April 3, 2025 / 18:56:02 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Oct 31, 2023
Classification
Report
Airline
Emerald Airlines UK
Flight number
EAG-61B
Departure
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Destination
Belfast City, United Kingdom
Aircraft Registration
G-CMJM
Aircraft Type
ATR ATR-72-200
ICAO Type Designator
AT72
The British AAIB reported that on departure from Edinburgh the right nose wheel separated from the aircraft, there were no abnormal indications or adverse aircraft performance, the crew remained unaware of the lost wheel. When the aircraft taxied on stand in Belfast the wheel was noticed missing the first time.
On Apr 3rd 2025 the AAIB released their final bulletin concluding the probable causes of the occurrence were:
The right NLG wheel detached from the aircraft on takeoff due to a failure of the axle onto which the wheel was located. The axle failed due to a fracture caused by overheat of the bearings in the wheel. Whilst the root cause of the failure could not be positively determined, factors were identified that could have contributed to the bearing overheat resulting from non-conformances with approved maintenance procedures. The manufacturer highlighted the importance of adherence to aircraft and component maintenance manuals.
The AAIB analysed:
Operations
There were no indications to the flight crew during the flight that the nosewheel had detached from the aircraft, and it was not easily detectable in Edinburgh because it came to rest away from the runway surface. Communications by airport staff meant any debris was located promptly.
Aside from risks inherent to debris on active runways, had the nosewheel detached during the approach at Belfast, it could have fallen on an urban area.
Cause of the wheel loss
The right NLG wheel detached from the aircraft because the axle on which it is located fractured. The axle fractured due to overheating of the bearing in the wheel which caused a combination of thermal shock and liquid cadmium embrittlement. The cause of the bearing overheating could not be positively determined, but inspection of the failed components identified a number of factors that could have contributed. These included over greasing of the inner and outer bearings, the lack of wheel balancing weights and the application of an interposition product between the mating faces of the two half-wheels which can cause the tie bolts to loosen. The manufacturer of the nose leg gear assembly highlighted the importance of adherence to the AMM and CMM by aircraft maintainers and component repair/maintenance facilities respectively to ensure safety. As well as providing access to the aircraft and component technical publications for wheels and brakes on the ATR 72, the manufacturer’s maintenance portal also contains in-service experience advice for operators and MROs
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Oct 31, 2023
Classification
Report
Airline
Emerald Airlines UK
Flight number
EAG-61B
Departure
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Destination
Belfast City, United Kingdom
Aircraft Registration
G-CMJM
Aircraft Type
ATR ATR-72-200
ICAO Type Designator
AT72
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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