Airbus A300-B4-622R, TF-ELK, 10 January 2011
Airbus A300-B4-622R, TF-ELK
Summary:
An approach to East Midlands Airport was being flown in gusty crosswind conditions. Reverse thrust was selected immediately after touchdown, but the aircraft subsequently bounced and the commander decided to go-around. During the go-around the No 2 (right) engine thrust reverser failed to stow, and the engine thrust was maintained at idle by the FADEC system. The aircraft’s tail struck the ground during the rotation. The aircraft became airborne at low speed in a high drag configuration and its acceleration and climb performance did not increase appreciably until 47 seconds after lift off. The No 2 engine was subsequently shut down and the aircraft diverted to Stansted Airport, where a single engine landing was carried out. The No 1 thrust reverser was selected during the landing at Stansted, but did not fully deploy. The investigation found that the most likely reason for the No 2 thrust reverser failure to stow was an intermittent loose connection in the auto-restow circuit. It was further determined that conflicting operational guidance exists with respect to selection of reverse thrust and go-around procedures. A number of safety actions have been taken as a result of this serious incident.
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