Summary
After full flap was selected on late final approach, the pilot heard a loud thud, the aircraft pitched nose up and the flaps retracted rapidly. A go around was conducted while the pilot established that the aircraft operated normally, apart from the flaps. A flapless landing was carried out.
Examination of the flap system revealed a failure on the idler gear of the flap drive gearbox. The gearbox had been in service for 12,546 hours, since the aircraft was manufactured. The manufacturer had not specified any inspection schedules, the gearbox being required "on condition".
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | 199800423 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 06/02/1998 |
| Location | Darwin Airport |
| State | Northern Territory |
| Report release date | 29/10/2002 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Flight control systems |
| Occurrence class | Incident |
| Highest injury level | None |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Cessna Aircraft Company |
|---|---|
| Model | 402 |
| Registration | VH-RMI |
| Serial number | 402C0408 |
| Sector | Piston |
| Operation type | Air Transport Low Capacity |
| Departure point | Garden Point, NT |
| Destination | Darwin, NT |
| Damage | Nil |