Serious incident Boeing 727-121 N721PC, Sunday 29 September 1985

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Date:	Sunday 29 September 1985
Time:	18:40 LT
Type:	Boeing 727-121
Owner/operator:	Ports Of Call Travel Club
Registration:	N721PC
MSN:	18997/235
Total airframe hrs:	30204 hours
Engine model:	P&W JT8D-7B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 71
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Denver, CO - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Puerto Vallarto, OF
Destination airport:	(KDEN)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
DURING GEAR EXTN FOR LNDG, THE FLT CREW NOTED A 'LOUD & VERY NOTICEABLE JOLTING OF THE ACFT.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THEY ALSO NOTICED THAT A PORTION OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR HAD PUNCTURED THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE RGT WING. THE CREW THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY & MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RGT MAIN GEAR ACTUATOR SUPPORT LINK, PN 65-19657-5, HAD BECOME CORRODED & FAILED. THE OUTBOARD END OF THE MAIN GEAR ACTUATOR BEAM THEN PUNCTURED THE UPPER WING PANEL. ALSO A HYDRAULIC LINE WAS SEVERED, WHICH DISABLED THE 'A' HYDRAULIC SYS. MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS ACFT OWNER ERRONEOUSLY INDICATED THAT IN 1971, THE FAILED PART HAD BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEWER LINK ASSEMBLY, PN 19657-11, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE AN INSPECTION. CONSEQUENTLY, THE REQUIRED INSPECTIONS SPECIFIED IN AD 68-17-01, REGARDING THE FAILED LINK, HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH BY THE NEW OWNER. BOEING HAD ISSUED A SVC BULLETIN (727-32-306) WHICH RECOMMENDED THAT LINK ASSEMBLIES WITH PN 19657-5 (AS WELL AS -4, -8 & -13) BE REMOVED FROM SVC & DISCARDED.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: