SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA
N512US
BOEING 757-251
THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THAT THEY RECEIVED A 'FLAP DISAGREE' MESSAGE DURING THE DESCENT AND APPROACH TO THEIR DESTINATION AIRPORT. WHEN CHECKLIST PROCEDURES WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN CORRECTING THE SITUATION, AN UNEVENTFUL 'ABNORMAL FLAP' LANDING WAS PERFORMED. POST-INCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED A FAILED INBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAP DRIVE TORQUE TUBE COUPLING. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED ONE SIMILAR FAILURE, AND EXAMINATION OF THE OPERATING 757 FLEET REVEALED NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES OF EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE AFT COUPLING OF THE TORQUE TUBE ASSEMBLY. LAB ANALYSIS OF THE WEAR, AND A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION RESULTED IN THE MANUFACTURER REDUCING THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE INTERVAL AND RECOMMENDING MORE FREQUENT VISUAL INSPECTIONS OF THE COMPONENT.
THE EXTREME WEAR AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF A TORQUE TUBE IN THE INBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAP SYSTEM. INSPECTION AND LUBRICATION INTERVALS WERE A FACTOR, AS WAS THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE TORQUE TUBE WITH REFERENCE TO EXTERNAL FACTORS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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