Plane Also Had Nose Gear Troubles

The National Transportation Safety Board tells ANN it will take a closer look at a September 28 incident, in which an engine on an American Airlines MD-82 caught fire shortly after take-off from the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

The plane returned to the airport and landed safely, after which time it was met by airport rescue and fire-fighting vehicles. The passengers and crew deplaned via air stairs.

None of the passengers or crewmembers was injured. The event is being investigated as an incident.

The flight crew received a left engine fire warning during climb and subsequently discharged the aircraft engine fire bottles into the affected engine.

The troubles didn't end there. During the visual return and approach, the MD-82's nose landing gear did not extend. The flight crew then extended the nose landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedure.

In addition to determining any mechanical factors involved in this incident, the investigation will include an examination of the evacuation procedures and the response of the airport fire-fighting unit.

The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were sent to the Safety Board's laboratory in Washington where the content of each is being evaluated.

Parties to the NTSB's investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, American Airlines, Boeing, Pratt and Whitney, and the Allied Pilots Association.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: AAL1400        Make/Model: MD80      Description: MD-81/82/83/87/88
  Date: 09/28/2007     Time: 1832

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: SAINT LOUIS   State: MO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1400, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD80 AIRCRAFT, ON
  DEPARTURE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO ENGINE EMITTING SMOKE, AIRCRAFT
  RETURNED AND LANDED, ENGINE NACALLE WAS SPRAYED WITH FOAM, PASSENGERS
  DEPLANED VIA STAIRS AND BUSSED TO TERMINAL, NO INJURIES REPORTED, SAINT
  LOUIS, MO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   5     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass: 137     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KSTL 281751Z VRB04KT 10SM FEW080 SCT250 28/07 A3020

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Take-off      Operation: Air Carrier

  FAA FSDO: ST. LOUIS, MO  (CE03)                 Entry date: 10/01/2007

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.aa.com