Passengers watch wheel falling off their plane but don't think to tell anyone

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Tyre maintenance systems have been around for many a year with the first pressure detection systems for aircraft being patented pre WW2. It does depend on the manufacturer with a few aircraft having it as standard and some as an option. It is though isn't compulsory and looking round I'm surprised that few commercial aircraft have it installed. Instead it seems to be cargo carriers (especially oversized) that have these systems fitted as well as being more prevalent states side. I didn't state that the Q400 had one fitted or not but assumed that for such a crucial part that most manufacturers would fit one as standard.. Either way the pilot should have known whether by alarm or handling..

Originally Posted by Stuart

Actually, this isn't strictly related to the thread, but in my pre-Uni days, I was a freight forwarding clerk. I was slightly alarmed to find that often the restrictions on the vehicles used to carry freight were (in some cases) a lot harsher than those used to carry people. For instance, if the frieght was carried under a letter of credit, the LOC often specified that the vehicle used (be it a plane or ship) was less than 15 years old. AFAIK, no such restriction exists on Passenger vehicles.

We do wheels by Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and theres no TBMS in them, I've attached a photo that I took of the Herc wheels at work (not really relavent but.) To give I ideal of scale the large one is 4 foot high, and I've seen new tyres with a mooosive flat spot but still usable, but removed for safety.

One of the companies that I deal with, but not for tyre monitoring

http://www.craneae.com/Products/Sens...ingSystem.aspx

The only plane I can find that has this is the B777

[Stuart]

Actually ,I wasn't trying to say whether they use pressure monitoring or not. I wouldn't know..

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Chris try looking at the plane spotters thread if you want more lulz

The pressure sensors on that tyre will read LOW (that is any point from their alarm setting to zero) so the loss of the wheel itself will give a LOW reading (the same if the sensor pipe failed or the tyre was punctured)

Either way the alarm reading or the handling of the aircraft (lateral shift of the CoG or reduction in drag to one side) should also have alerted a professional pilot to their being an issue somewhere..

I'm now looking forward to the next (let's get one over on Kymmy) attempt by this poster as it's really lifting my spirits atm

I don't know what sort of pressure sensors are used on these planes, so I can't really comment on that. Although I would have thought that Kymmy was right.

As for the reduction in drag. On a plane this side the difference would be minimal. and the piolet probably wouldn't notice. He would probably just think it was a slight cross wind, and adjust the trim.

[Kymmy]

Possibly but a wheel can give significant drag.. It'll probably depend on the pilot and conditions at the time. You also have to remember that the wheels on the q400 are further out than most aircraft of this size. I suppose it depends on how long the wheel was missing before the retraction as trimming to compensate for the yaw and then having to suddenly trim again on retraction should make a pilot take notice of an issue (easy though to say with hind-sight). From the reports it's a bit confusing as to who alerted the pilot (ATC, passenger has been mentioned yet in other reports now mention of ATC or passenger telling the pilot.)

[Tim Deegan]

I should think that the most likely times for the wheel to fail would be take off and landing. So as it hadn't landed, then I presume it was take off. So if this is the case, then it wouldn't lead to a sudden change in balance whilst in mid flight. And would be easier for the pilot to miss.

[Kymmy]

but as you say the trim might have been effected.. Think of it this way.. Pilot takes off, even if the wheel fell off at that point the pilot would of had to apply rudder to counteract the uneven drag.. He flips the gear lever and all of a sudden the uneven drag vanishes

I look forward to the AAIB report on this one and really glad that there were no injuries never mind fatalities Well done to the pilots on lnading

[Hom3r]

The biggest concern is what the hell where the passengers thinking who saw it, my seat would have been ruined, and the person behind me knocked out by the fumes.

I would have descretly as possible notified a trolly dolly and told them quitely, Not assumed that the crew would know.

[Pauls9]

Isn't this a modern version of the early aircraft undercarriage where they took off on wheeled trolleys, leaving them behind on the ground, then landed on skids.

Seems perfectly straightforward to me.

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Pauls9

Isn't this a modern version of the early aircraft undercarriage where they took off on wheeled trolleys, leaving them behind on the ground, then landed on skids.

Seems perfectly straightforward to me.

They have moved on a very long way since those days.