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Atlas / NTSB / ATL85MA083

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ATL85MA083

1985-01-29 DOBBINS AFB, Georgia, United States Airport · MGE None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

DURING GEAR RETRACTION AFTER TAKEOFF, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BECAME JAMMED IN A PARTIALLY RETRACTED PSN & THE RESPECTIVE IN-TRANSIT GEAR LIGHT WOULD NOT EXTINGUISH. ATTEMPTS TO RECYCLE THE GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FLT CREW DIVERTED TO ATLANTA, GA; THEN DECIDED TO LAND AT DOBBINS AFB, WHERE THERE WAS A LONG, WIDE RWY THAT COULD BE FOAMED. FOAM WAS APPLIED TO APRX 300 FT OF RWY 29. THE ACFT WAS LANDED WITH THE NOSE & LEFT MAIN GEAR EXTENDED & THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT & STOPPED WITH THE NOSE GEAR APRX 70 FT OFF THE RWY. FIRE ERUPTED IN THE AREA OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR; HOWEVER, THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE CLEARANCE BTN THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DOOR HOOK, PN 803845-1, & THE STRUT ROLLER WAS EXCESSIVE.THE REASON FOR THE IMPROPER CLEARANCE WAS NOT DETERMINED. LOCKHEED SERVICE BULLETIN 88/SB-558 WARNED THAT EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE COMBINED WITH A DROP IN HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, GUST OR MANEUVER COULD RESULT IN THE GEAR JAMMING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_ATL85MA083.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.