A Boeing 787-8 aircraft, registration number G-ZBJB, suffered damage to its lower forward fuselage following a nose gear retraction during preparations for a cargo flight from London Heathrow Airport to Frankfurt on June 18, 2021.
Read the original reporting of the incident here:
Now, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) released a special bulletin on July 14, 2021, covering the facts which have been determined during the investigation so far.
The incident occurred at 6:51 am local time, during the cargo loading process and whilst carrying out a Dispatch Deviation Guide (DDG) procedure to clear maintenance messages relating to an existing Acceptable Deferred Defect (ADD).
The aircraft Nose Landing Gear (NLG) retracted resulting in damage to the lower nose, NLG doors, and engine cowlings. Door 2 left (Door 2L) struck the top of the mobile steps which resulted in the door separating from the fuselage and one person, operating the cargo loader positioned at the forward cargo hold, received minor injuries.
“The DDG procedure required the cockpit landing gear selection lever to be cycled with hydraulic power applied to the aircraft,” the authority outlined. “To prevent the landing gear from retracting, the procedure required pins to be inserted in the nose and main landing gear downlocks. However, the NLG downlock pin was installed in the NLG downlock apex pin bore which was adjacent to the correct location to install the downlock pin. When the landing gear selector was cycled the NLG retracted.”
An Airworthiness Directive issued by the FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) on January 16, 2020, prevents incorrect installation of the downlock pin by installing an insert over the apex pin bore. However, this had not yet been implemented on G-ZBJB.