Latest news with #Boeing757-200
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NTSB cites hydraulic and electrical failures in FedEx 757 gear failure
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a FedEx Boeing 757-200's belly landing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was caused by the failure of the alternate gear extension system, which prevented the landing gear from being lowered during an emergency. On Oct. 4, 2023, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) flight 1376 experienced an 'abnormal runway contact' when the flight crew was unable to extend the landing gear during the approach to Chattanooga's Lovell Field. Shortly after takeoff from Chattanooga, the captain called for gear up, and the first officer raised the landing gear control lever to retract the landing gear. Both the main landing gear and nose landing gear retracted to their up and locked position. Digital flight data recorder data showed that 22 seconds after gear retraction, the hydraulic fluid quantity and pressure in the left hydraulic system began to decrease. After troubleshooting the hydraulic issue per procedures in the Quick Reference Handbook, the flight crew made the decision to return to Chattanooga. While preparing to land, the landing gear did not extend as expected when the landing gear control lever was positioned to its down position.'Gear disagree. The gear is not coming down,' the first officer confirmed, according to cockpit voice recorder data documented by the NTSB. Despite multiple attempts to deploy the landing gear using both normal and alternate extension systems, the crew was forced to perform a belly landing. The aircraft slid off the departure end of Runway 20 and impacted localizer antennas before coming to rest about 830 feet beyond the end of the runway. Postaccident inspections of the landing gear system found that hydraulic fluid was leaking from the left landing gear door actuator retract hydraulic hose. Inspections also found that the engine indication and crew alerting system showed the left hydraulic system had only 32% fluid quantity remaining after the main landing gear door retraction shortly after takeoff, which is considered fully depleted. Analysis of the failed hydraulic hose revealed multiple broken wire strands along its length and a rupture in its inner liner. The cause of the broken wire strands most likely originated from an overload event as evidenced by the necking down of the wire strands and a reduction in their area, investigators critically, electrical system inspections of the alternate extension system found no electrical continuity between the alternate gear extend switch and the alternate extension power pack. A visual examination revealed a break in a wire between the circuit breaker and the alternate gear extend switch, which prevented the system from functioning as a backup. 'Analysis of the wire's fracture surfaces showed a reduction in area and circumferential cracking of the coating, consistent with tensile loading,' the final report stated. 'No obvious defects or anomalies were observed on the fracture surfaces.' The investigation also identified issues with the aircraft's evacuation equipment. After the airplane came to a stop, the jumpseat occupant attempted to open the L1 door, which only rotated halfway open and would not fully deploy. The R1 door also became lodged on the slide pack before the jumpseat occupant used force to open it. Investigators found that the R1 door's bannis latch did not conform to the configuration required by an FAA Airworthiness Directive from 1986, which caused the slide pack to jam during evacuation. The NTSB determined the probable cause of this accident to be 'the failure of the alternate gear extension system, which prevented the landing gear from being lowered. The cause of the system failure was a broken wire, due to tensile overload, between the alternate gear extend switch and the alternate extension power pack, preventing the AEPP from energizing and supplying hydraulic fluid to the door lock release actuators for the nose landing gear and main landing gear.' Contributing to the accident was 'the loss of the left hydraulic system due to a ruptured left main gear door actuator hose from fatigue, which prevented normal landing gear operation.' The NTSB noted that the crew of FedEx flight 1376 demonstrated good Crew Resource Management during the emergency, remaining calm and professional throughout the accident sequence. They displayed effective workload management by distributing tasks among themselves, with the captain flying and the first officer working to resolve the issue with air traffic control. 'The crew maintained clear and concise communication between all crewmembers to include a jumpseat occupant, and with ATC, actively soliciting feedback and input, and crosschecking with one another to ensure everyone was working with the same mental model,' the report a result of this investigation, the NTSB issued four new safety recommendations to the FAA and three new recommendations to Boeing on March 27, 2025. These recommendations address the need to inspect and modify bannis latches on Boeing aircraft doors and update aircraft maintenance manuals with correct configurations. Following the accident, FedEx implemented a 275 Flight Hour check on the alternate extension system, including performing a general visual inspection while the nose landing gear and main landing gear doors are open while on the ground. Related: FedEx 757 accident prompts NTSB call for door latch inspections (This article is republished from Airline Geeks.) The post NTSB cites hydraulic and electrical failures in FedEx 757 gear failure appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UPS hires Delta Air Lines to maintain Boeing 757 engines
Delta Air Lines' technical operations division will provide engine maintenance support to UPS Airlines for its fleet of Boeing 757-200 converted freighters. Delta TechOps announced on LinkedIn last week that it has signed a 10-year contract with UPS (NYSE: UPS) to service Pratt & Whitney PW2037 engines on UPS' entire 757 fleet. Delta CEO Ed Bastian also disclosed the agreement during Delta's first quarter-earnings briefing. 'This is an exciting one for our MRO team and supports long-term revenue diversification and growth,' Bastian said. Both companies are headquartered in Atlanta. UPS operates 75 Boeing 757 freighters, according to a fact sheet on its Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is one of the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers in North America. Other major airlines with their own maintenance units include American and Lufthansa. The companies inspect and maintain their own aircraft, and make extra money from outside customers. Last week, Pratt & Whitney announced an agreement to expand annual overhaul capacity by 30% for geared turbofan engines at Delta TechOps' Atlanta facility over the next decade. The GTF engine is a newer type mostly used to power the Airbus A220 and A320 neo family of aircraft. The extra infrastructure will enable Delta to overhaul up to 450 of the engines per year. Delta makes money from noncore businesses like TechOps and its jet fuel refinery near Philadelphia. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric did Delta Air Lines awaken 570 dormant aircraft? Delta makes mobile hospital pods to transport troops with COVID-19 The post UPS hires Delta Air Lines to maintain Boeing 757 engines appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
FedEx 757 accident prompts NTSB call for door latch inspections
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued new safety recommendations to Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration regarding evacuation slides on certain aircraft types. The recommendations stem from an ongoing investigation into an emergency landing, involving a FedEx Boeing 757-200 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On Oct. 4, 2023, FedEx flight 1376 experienced a hydraulic system failure shortly after takeoff from Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. The flight crew attempted an emergency gear-up landing, during which the aircraft sustained substantial damage. When evacuating, the crew encountered issues with both the left (L1) and right (R1) doors. The L1 door would not fully open due to an incorrectly routed deployment strap, while the R1 door was difficult to open because its slide pack NTSB's investigation revealed that the R1 door's bannis latch, which releases the slide pack, did not conform to required modifications specified by the FAA. The airworthiness directive mandated changes to prevent slide packs from jamming doorways during emergencies. The aircraft's R1 bannis latch had only one link instead of the required three and lacked other necessary hardware, investigators stated. Following the incident, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) inspected its entire Boeing 757 fleet and found that about 24% of doors were not compliant with either AD 86-09-09 or a subsequent directive, AD 2001-15-01. These findings prompted Boeing to issue a multioperator message alerting other airlines to the potential issue. The NTSB's review of Boeing and FedEx maintenance manuals found inconsistent depictions of the correct bannis latch configuration, which could lead to confusion among maintenance personnel and the potential installation of nonconforming on these findings, the NTSB has issued several recommendations, including: Boeing should issue a service bulletin advising 757 operators to inspect and, if necessary, modify or replace bannis latches to ensure correct configuration. The FAA should require all Boeing 757 operators to conduct these inspections and modifications. Similar recommendations were made for Boeing 737 models that use the same bannis latch design, including newer variants such as the -700 and -800. Boeing should review and revise maintenance manuals to ensure consistent and accurate depiction of the correct bannis latch assembly for affected aircraft models. The FAA should require operators to update their maintenance manuals accordingly. The Chattanooga gear-up landing remains under investigation. While the aircraft suffered damages, no injuries were reported following the accident. (This article is republished from Airline Geeks) The post FedEx 757 accident prompts NTSB call for door latch inspections appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Take a look inside Air Force Two, the 155-foot custom jet plane vice presidents use to travel the world
Vice presidents started traveling by plane via Air Force Two in 1959. Vice President JD Vance flies in a C-32, a custom military version of a commercial jetliner. It features a communications center, stateroom, and 32 seats for journalists. For vice presidents of the United States, frequent travel is in the job description. Luckily, they get to travel in style. While traversing the country and the world, Vice President JD Vance flies in a custom C-32 plane featuring an advanced communications center, conference room, and private stateroom. The plane measures 155 feet long and can fly 5,500 nautical miles without refueling. When Vance is on board, it's known as "Air Force Two." Take a look inside the vice president's plane. Any Air Force plane carrying the US vice president is called "Air Force Two." Similar to the president aboard "Air Force One," the designation of "Air Force Two" refers to any Air Force plane carrying the vice president, not a specific jet or model. Over the years, several different planes have carried the Air Force Two title, transporting vice presidents and their staff around the world. The most commonly used jet is a C-32, a customized military version of a commercial Boeing 757-200 plane. The vice president is generally prohibited from flying on "Air Force One," a plane carrying the president. The president and vice president don't travel together for security reasons. It's customary for presidents and vice presidents to salute service members as they board and disembark presidential planes. Service members are required to salute the president as commander in chief, but not the vice president. Still, it's customary for troops to salute vice presidents, as well. Richard Nixon was the first vice president to travel internationally via jet on official business, visiting what was then the USSR in 1959. Nixon, who served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice president, flew on a Boeing VC-137A Stratoliner to visit the USSR in 1959. Beginning with the Ford administration in 1975, this DC-9 jet flew as Air Force Two until 2005. The jet was first used by President Gerald Ford's vice president, Nelson Rockefeller. It featured a VIP cabin with 10 seats and a main cabin with 32 first-class seats. The plane was retired from service during the Bush administration in 2005 and placed up for auction by the General Services Administration in 2013. Vice President Al Gore decorated the VIP cabin with family photos. Gore worked on his acceptance speech for the 2000 Democratic National Convention aboard Air Force Two. The cabin also featured a clock with different time zone displays. The clock featured the time in Washington, DC, and whatever destination Air Force Two was bound for. The updated C-32 plane most commonly used by vice presidents first deployed in 1998. With a wingspan of nearly 125 feet, each engine features 41,700 pounds of static thrust, according to the Air Force. As vice president, Joe Biden hung a map of the world in his Air Force Two work area. Biden traveled over one million miles on Air Force Two during his time as vice president. Mike Pence's staff decorated Air Force Two for his birthday in 2017. Staffers celebrated the vice president's birthday with streamers and balloons aboard the jet. Kamala Harris also celebrated birthdays on the plane. Harris brought cupcakes and sang "Happy Birthday" to her domestic policy advisor, Kate Childs Graham, in 2021. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff traveled aboard Air Force Two, as well. Air Force Two is occasionally used by the first lady and Cabinet members. Emhoff filled out his March Madness basketball bracket en route to Las Vegas in March 2021. The back of Air Force Two contains 32 business-class seats for members of the press. Vice presidents and staff occasionally hold informal briefings with reporters known as "press gaggles" aboard Air Force Two. The press area features TV screens that can play cable news. The rear cabin also contains a galley, two bathrooms, and closets. Vice President JD Vance has taken several international trips on Air Force Two, including to France, Germany, and Greenland. In February, Vance visited France and Germany with his wife, Usha Vance, and their three children. Vance attended the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris and the Munich Security Conference. In March, the vice president and second lady toured Pituffik Space Base, the only US military base in Greenland. Usha Vance was originally scheduled to visit historical sites and attend Greenland's national dogsled race on a solo trip. The visit was scaled back amid tensions between the US, Greenland, and Denmark as President Donald Trump doubled down on his longtime goal of acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, in the interest of national security. Read the original article on Business Insider
