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I wonder if it recently ran over a wheel chock, deforming the NLG spray deflector causing the nose wheel to refuse to deploy. A similar incident happened in 2001. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20010809-...

NTSB report (pdf): https://reports.aviation-safety.net/2001/20010809-0_B712_N24...

Current incident: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/316147

This plane's deets:

Boeing 717-2BD (derived from MD-80)

model year 2000

ser 55017

reg N955AT

leaser Wells Fargo

As an immediate stop gap, I think the FAA should issue an AD for the 717/MD-80 family that should rough front gear noises, underpowered response, or rolling sluggishness occur, ground crews should inspect the nose gear's NLG spray deflector for damage prior to any takeoff. For anyone unfamiliar, the deflector is thing that trails behind the nose wheel that limits FOD and water ingestion into MD-80's tail-mounted engines. Wing-mounted engines generally don't have this problem unless they're located near wing roots.




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