747 lands with 1 gear hung up...

Fortunately the 747 has "back-ups"
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Those tall ones are training wheels. The airplane guys just can't get by without them.

 

That's funny! Makes sense too.

Here's another view:

http://thehuwaldtfamily.org/jtrl/vehicle_data/Jet%20Transports/Boeing%20747%20Landing%20Gear%20Cutaway,%20Roskam.png
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That is almost as bad as losing an engine on a B-52

I'm glad the pilots were able to land safely without any further issues.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Curious question, if the 747 were to be built today clean sheet would it end up with 777 style landing gear? Has technology progressed that far?

777-300 max landing weight 554,000 lb

747-800 max landing weight 688,000 lb

I guess 134,000 lb extra would at least need something in the center ala A340?

 

In 1970 the runways and ramps weren't as thick as they are now, I think. I remember a lot of talk and concern about weight distribution, truck pitch, axel spacing,etc. Look at the A380, same configuration almost. The 777 went to a six wheel truck to alleviate load concentration that would have cracked runways and ramps due to the convergence point being within the concrete.

 

Great pic of the landing gear. I'm guessing the Captain would have liked to have another run at that landing....pretty good hit there and a bounce. 747's are hard to bounce! Maybe I'm seeing things or am too critical. Assuming he dumped fuel to maximum landing weight. I don't believe passenger 400s land near max gross landing weight very often. The 400 actually lands better at heavy weights, but it's different than light weights.

In the 747 classic, if 1 main gear didn't come down, you'd retract the other matching gear and just land on a set on mains (body or wings). If you land on just the body gear, you have to be careful and not really taxi as you can tilt over. If landing on the wing gear, I believe tilting back onto the tail is possible if you aren't careful as the wing gear sit further forward than the body gear. On the 400 and -8, you land on whatever you can get down.

Max landing weight on the -8 cargo plane is 763,000 if I remember correctly. I've been off work too long! The passenger -8 may be different.

 

Yeah, the only reason I know they are hard to bounce as I've done it before. They can't all be smooth, otherwise it wouldn't be fun.

Looks like the right wing gear. Not sure I really agree with the whole, "try and shake it free" idea.

Glad all went well. Let us know what you find out.

 

I just remembered a load leveling system that was to be installed on the 747 main gear to account for the crown in the runways. The body gear was decompressed slightly so that the weight of the airplane was equally disbursed on all the wheels. Lou, do you have this on your airplane? Perhaps it has been deleted by now.

 

A better angle of the landing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoWS_SHe4gU

Look at that thing lean!

 

Yeah, that was a pretty hard landing. It would have been sorta funny if the landing shook it free! The captain would never stop hearing about it! Yeah, I believe the reasoning for landing with only the body or only the wing gear was to avoid the tilt.

Not sure about a leveling system. Can't remember one. Assuming the good wing gears oleo partially extended strut is causing the tilt, otherwise it should be level.

 

No support on the right side and a lot of wing , engines, and fuel with nothing to hold it level. I have never heard of this happening to a 747.

 

A tell for a hard landing from that view is the runway turnoff lights on the nose gear. They illuminate when the main gear untilts (weight on wheels). You'll notice these turn on, then go out, then turn on again, hence the bounce.

 

Hello, not knowing anything, Im curious as to why not continue to your final destination. Youre going to land one way or another anyway, so why not not burn that fuel off on the way. Im sure Las Vegas can handle the repairs and emergency also. That way they may figure out a better plan of action with the added time. Unless the MLG wouldn't retract. Again I know nothing. other than what I saw on the video

 

Hello, I guess I answered my own question as apprently the main gear would not go up either. Having the gear down wouldnt be fun for an extended time, Im sure.

 

From what I saw on the TV news tonight, the right gear was stopped in transit with it half way stowed and the doors still open. A dirty configuration. This is highly unusual for this airplane. Somebody left a wrench in something.

 

Oh man... that poor thing. Looks like a sick puppy.
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When I look at that airplane in that condition all I can think is , "What a wounded but gritty and strong bird that is. And we did one helluva job when we designed and built it." I'm working on a painting of the B-17G, "Mr. Lucky" that was cut in half by another airplane. My bunkmate, tail gunner Joe Frank Jones, rode it down for 13000 feet and survived the impact. The legacy lives on.

 

Re the bounce on landing - could this have been intentional to try, one last time, to free the gear?

 

That's what the Captain will be telling everyone.

 

Those Virgin 747s are ancient... Clearly they will be maintained by the book, but this will surely speed up their retirement.

 

Spectacular angle...