Gear doors open after emergency landing?
Posted by Original_Painting151@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 15 comments
I randomly tuned into the live webcam at Zurich airport and saw this plan land and be followed by the airport fire trucks, so assuming it was some type of emergency. I noticed that the gear doors seem to be stuck open - what would cause this? Something hydraulic related?
ketchup1345@reddit
Inspection. You can walk under the A320 and find a panel. Once you open it there are two levers, each one releases the locks for the gear doors and they lower with gravity.
Original_Painting151@reddit (OP)
They appeared to be open while taxing from the runway
Malcolm2theRescue@reddit
Very common with hydraulic failure. Emergency gear extension unlatches the doors and free falls the gear but doors do not close.
e28Sean@reddit
The doors appear to hang down a fair ways in this situation. How often are they damaged on touchdown following an emergency extension?
Malcolm2theRescue@reddit
Yes, they DO which is why it’s a good idea to tow after landing. Of course, this is usually the case since nosewheel steering is usually on the same hydraulic system. I remember on the MD-80 which sits lower than the Airbus, the doors had skids on them to prevent damage if the dragged on the pavement.
Austerlitz2310@reddit
Not on the A320. The doors are designed so that when the oleo struts are compressed on the ground, the doors remain well above the runway or surface. Obviously, you can damage them from catching onto something that is protruding, but if you're in that situation, you've got bigger problems than some gear doors being damaged.
flightist@reddit
They don’t hang far enough to touch anything during landing.
MH_70@reddit
This is typically the condition after the landing gear have been extended through the emergency system.
fresh_like_Oprah@reddit
Seems like the procedure is to gravity extend with a fault on any of the 3 hydraulic systems.
SerennialFellow@reddit
It failure is hydraulic it makes sense and to a point electrical
Atalkingstranger@reddit
Gravity release
Cheetawolf@reddit
Hydraulic system failure.
The gear have a backup "Gravity" system to manually extend them without hydraulics, but the gear doors won't close back up without the hydraulic system to move them.
HonoraryCanadian@reddit
Emergency gear extension handle? That would typically dump the hydraulic pressure on the uplocks and doors, so the doors wouldn't close after.
Guadalajara3@reddit
It would be a hydraulic issue
Original_Painting151@reddit (OP)
Makes sense, thanks!