All Nippon Airways saw its first significant 787 operational hiccup Sunday, as the newly introduced aircraft suffered a malfunction that prevented that the main gear from extending on its the crew’s first attempt.A photograph taken of JA801A while on approach to Okayama, the first of two destinations served by the 787 from Tokyo’s Handed Airport by ANA, show the main landing gear doors in the retracted position, while the nose gear extended normally.
The Wall St. Journal indicated that a failed hydraulic valve was at fault, being replaced on site. It is not know if the first of two 787s ANA is operating has re-entered scheduled service.
Photos taken of the aircraft following landing at Okayama, which show the nose and main landing gear body doors hanging free from the aircraft, indicates indicates the crew selected an alternate gear swing to achieve full extension.
Boeing and ANA have not yet responded to a request for comment.
ANA began its first scheduled routes on 1 November between Tokyo-Haneda airport and Okayama and Hiroshima.
The 787’s landing gear is hydraulically actuated by the center 5000psi hydraulic system. The center system and its twin electric-motor-driven hydraulic pumps actuates the flaps, nose gear and steering, main gear and flight controls. One of the two center system pumps is constantly running, while the second is available during high demand phases of flight.
Left and right engine driven primary demand pumps are responsible for flight control actuation, both of which are engine-driven pumps.
Each main landing gear has four different hydraulic valve modules, each responsible for a different part of the sequence of raising and lowering of the 787’s main landing gear and associated body doors.
Photo Credit FlyTeam.jp User Mosochiku 妄想竹さん
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This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.