VH-OJB tyre-caused no 1 hydraulics failure

[Philip Argy]

ATSB abbreviated report released today.

Abstract follows:

At 0715 Coordinated Universal Time on 20 October 2007, a Boeing Company 747-438 aircraft, registered VH-OJB, departed Los Angeles International Airport, USA, on a scheduled passenger flight to Brisbane, Australia. There were four flight crew, 14 cabin crew, and 406 passengers on board the aircraft. The first officer was the handling pilot for the flight. As the aircraft became airborne, a tyre on the left body landing gear disintegrated and a section of tyre debris impacted a line of the number-1 hydraulics system in the left body landing gear well. That caused fluid and pressure loss from that system. A short time later, the electronic indicating and crew alerting system (EICAS) screen in the cockpit advised that the number-1 hydraulics system had failed and a report was received from the cabin crew that a 'bang' was heard in the vicinity of the left main landing gear shortly before the aircraft became airborne. The flight crew completed checklist items and the flight continued uneventfully to Brisbane.
The operator found some inconsistencies in the aircraft manufacturer's documentation relating to hydraulics failures. The aircraft manufacturer has noted those and has advised that it will examine them as part of its ongoing standardisation program.

Technically the report is correct in stating that "the flight continued uneventfully to Brisbane", but I note that the a/c had to be towed from the runway after landing in BNE because the loss of hydraulics system no 1 left the a/c without nosewheel steering.

[Chris Tully]

I am suprised that non-normal checklist allows continuation of flight with 1 system out. Especially across the Pacific...