Vladivostok A320 at Khabarovsk on Jul 30th 2012, unsafe gear after departure

Last Update: September 5, 2012 / 20:54:14 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Vladivostok Avia VQ-BFM, Airbus A320 — Vladivostok Avia VQ-BFM, Airbus A320 (Photo credit: Anna Zvereva / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 30, 2012

Classification
Incident

Cause
Unsafe gear

Airline
Vladivostok Avia

Flight number
XF-4642

Departure
Khabarovsk, Russia

Destination
Novosibirsk, Russia

Aircraft Registration
VQ-BFM

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

A Vladivostok Avia Airbus A320-200, registration VQ-BFM performing flight XF-4642 from Khabarovsk to Novosibirsk (Russia) with 156 passengers and 6 crew, had departed Khabarovsk on schedule and was climbing out of Khabarovsk when the crew could not fully retract the main gear, levelled off, burned off fuel and returned to Khabarovsk for a safe landing at 22:37L (11:37Z) about 2.5 hours after departure.

Radar data show that the aircraft has not flown since (standing Sep 5th 20:00Z) for more than a month indicating the aircraft had received substantial damage.

On Sep 5th 2012 The Aviation Herald learned a special maintenance team was dispatched to Khabarovsk to repair damage following a hard landing.

On Jul 30th 2012 Russia's Civil Aviation Authority Rosaviatsia had confirmed the return of VQ-BFM to Khabarosvk after the gear could not be fully retracted and reported a safe landing following the return, so far there was no follow up.

Prior to flight XF-4642 returning to Khabarovsk the aircraft had flown flight XF-4611 (dep Jul 30th) from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Vladivsostok (Russia) and flight XF-4642 from Vladivstostok to Khabarovsk (Russia) landing in Khabarovsk at 18:00L (07:00Z), all departures and arrivals on schedule.

Metars:
UHHH 301230Z 04007G10MPS 5000 -SHRA SCT005 OVC019CB 17/17 Q1002 NOSIG RMK QBB170 QFE745/0993 M 55290045=
UHHH 301200Z 05008MPS 3200 -SHRA SCT005 OVC020CB 17/17 Q1002 NOSIG=
UHHH 301130Z 05006MPS 3200 -SHRA SCT005 OVC020CB 18/18 Q1002 NOSIG RMK QBB160 QFE745/0993 M 55290045=
UHHH 301100Z 05007MPS 3200 -SHRA BKN005 OVC020CB 18/18 Q1001 TEMPO TSRA=
UHHH 301030Z 07008G11MPS 3200 -SHRA BKN005 OVC020CB 18/18 Q1001 TEMPO TSRA RMK QBB160 QFE744/0993 M 4 130-16 0 10-15 55290045=
UHHH 301000Z 07008G11MPS 3200 -SHRA BKN005 OVC020CB 18/18 Q1001 TEMPO TSRA=
UHHH 300930Z 07007G10MPS 3200 -SHRA BKN005 OVC020CB 18/18 Q1001 NOSIG RMK QBB170 QFE744/0992 M 55290045=
UHHH 300900Z 07007G10MPS 3200 -SHRA BKN005 OVC020CB 18/17 Q1000 NOSIG=
UHHH 300830Z 07008MPS 2500 -SHRA BKN005 OVC018CB 17/17 Q1000 NOSIG RMK QBB160 QFE744/0992 M 55290045=
UHHH 300800Z 07006MPS 1900 SHRA BKN005 OVC019CB 17/17 Q1001 NOSIG=
UHHH 300730Z 07006G09MPS 1900 SHRA BKN005 OVC018CB 17/17 Q1001 NOSIG RMK QBB160 QFE744/0992 M 55290045=
UHHH 300700Z 07007G10MPS 1900 SHRA BKN005 OVC018CB 17/17 Q1000 NOSIG=
UHHH 300630Z 07006MPS 2500 -SHRA BKN005 OVC019CB 17/17 Q1001 NOSIG RMK QBB160 QFE744/0992 M 55290045=
UHHH 300600Z 08009MPS 3200 -SHRA SCT005 BKN020CB OVC100 17/17 Q1001 NOSIG=
UHHH 300530Z 07009MPS 3200 -SHRA SCT005 BKN020CB OVC100 18/18 Q1001 NOSIG RMK QBB160 QFE744/0993 M 55290045=
UHHH 300500Z 05007MPS 6000 -SHRA SCT005 BKN021CB OVC100 18/18 Q1001 NOSIG RMK QBB160 QFE744/0993 M 55290045=