Aircraft Ground Handling

It was an early departure from the Philadelphia (Pa.) International Airport (KPHL) back to home plate. Thanks to an in-flight encounter with severe turbulence two days earlier, which injured three of my passengers, it had been a memorable three-day trip. I was the pilot flying the 757 for our last leg. As we taxied out, we checked the winds one last time before taking Runway 27L. It was early morning, and ATC still was doing noise-abatement departures to the west even though the winds were out of the east at 7-8 knots. We had a tailwind limit of 10 knots, and we were fairly light, maybe just over 200,000 pounds. So we were good to go.

Thursday, June 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

The ILS Y 10R approach into Boise. Jeppesen

Key Takeaways:

A Boeing 757 takeoff was violently aborted after the nose gear's scissors assembly became disconnected, causing uncontrolled side-to-side movement on the runway.
The incident was attributed to contract ground handlers improperly re-connecting the nose gear assembly after moving the aircraft, highlighting issues with differing ground handling procedures and communication.
Key takeaways include the critical importance of immediately aborting a takeoff when issues arise, and the subsequent implementation of safety-wiring nose gear fittings to prevent unauthorized disconnection by ground staff.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Editor’s Note: This anonymous first-person account of a rejected Boeing 757 takeoff and what caused it offers several lessons about aircraft maintenance and ground handling, plus pre-flight inspections. Even though it involves a type most of us will only ride in, the lessons apply to anything that flies.