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| Date: | Tuesday 19 January 1999 |
| Time: | 04:26 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 747-132 (SF) |
| Owner/operator: | Evergreen International Airlines |
| Registration: | N481EV |
| MSN: | 19896/72 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1970 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 26359 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W JT9D-7A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Fairbanks International Airport, AK (FAI) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Sapporo-New Chitose Airport (RJCC) |
| Fairbanks International Airport, AK (FAI) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After landing, the number four engine thrust reverser remained deployed. A tailpipe fire occurred, with no reported cockpit indications of either the fire or the extended reverser. Ground personnel notified the crew of the fire, and the engine was shut down. A teardown inspection revealed that the thrust reverser pneumatic drive unit (PDU) had been incorrectly assembled at the previous overhaul, 113 hours and 26 cycles prior to failure. The required stroke of the PDU interlock mechanism is 1.318 to 1.326 inches. At disassembly, the stroke was measured to be 1.230 inches. This stroke is required to allow the gear change mechanism to fully shift (from extend, to retract). The PDU retract pawl fracture surfaces were indicative of overstress. The lowest ambient surface temperature the airplane had been exposed to at the various airports during the 26 landing cycles had been -13 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface temperature during the failure of the PDU was -27 degrees Fahrenheit.
Probable Cause: The improper overhaul of the thrust reverser pneumatic drive unit, and the subsequent failure of the thrust reverser actuator. Factors associated with the incident were the inadequate quality assurance procedures by the overhaul company.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ANC99IA025
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 24 April 2004 | N481EV | Evergreen International Airlines | 0 | Near Compton |  |
non |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Feb-2024 20:50 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 21-Feb-2024 20:58 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
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