Boeing 747-436, G-CIVK, 23 August 2008
Boeing 747-436, G-CIVK
Summary:
During taxi to Runway 27R, a wheel fire on the incident aircraft was seen by the crew of another aircraft who reported it to ATC. The commander of the incident aircraft brought it to a stop and requested the assistance of the fire service. When the fire service arrived, they saw smoke emanating from the No 7 wheel but no fire. The wheel was removed and the aircraft towed to a stand where the passengers were disembarked. The cause of the fire was attributed to a failure of the outer bearing in the wheel; this resulted in a loss of support and caused the rotating wheel hub to rub against the axle. The cause of the bearing failure could not be conclusively established, but improper wheel installation, or an inadequate bearing inspection during the last tyre change, were possible factors.
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