AVIATION/ INDONESIA REPORTS ON GARUDA FL142

Indonesia's Transportation Safety Committee, NTSC, has released its final report into an incident involving a GARUDA INDONESIA Boeing 737 on October 30, 2009. On that date, Garuda Flight 142 was on Domestic Service from Jakarta to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, with 49 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. On takeoff from Jakarta, the crew reported a problem with one of the left hand main wheels. While climbing, the tower notified the crew that it appeared that a wheel had falled off the aircraft during takeoff. The crew halted their climb at 10000 feet and then performed a low fly over of the tower. Tower staff confirmed to the crew that the aircraft was missing a wheel. After circling to burn off fuel, the 737 was able to land back at Jakarta without incident. Post flight inspection revealed that the wheel was indeed missing and that axle was also damaged. The wheel was found across the runway where it had hit and damaged a runway light. In its final report, the NTSC concluded that the wheel bearings failed due to the wheel axle nut not being at the correct torgue. The report goes on to say that the most recent main wheel installation had taken place on the Airport apron, in darkness, and with the aid of flashlights. The NTSC faulted the Airline saying that the work enviroment was not conducive to ensuring that the work could be performed safely and in accordance with approved procedures. A copy of the full report can be found on the NTSC website.