The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has issued four safety recommendations in response to an incident in which a burst tire on a Bombardier Global Express caused “extensive damage” to the flight control system. The recommendations urge the manufacturer to provide more protection for flight-critical systems near the main landing-gear tires and to make modifications to reduce the amount of water pouring onto tires and brakes when the aircraft is parked in heavy rain.
The jet landed at London Luton Airport on Jan. 29, 2008, after a flight from Van Nuys, Calif., where it had stood in heavy rain for a prolonged period before departure (although the weather was actually dry at the time of takeoff). During the landing roll, the left inboard main landing-gear tire burst after a wheel locked as a result of ice formation on the brake surfaces. Flying tire debris caused the flap drive shaft and two hydraulic lines to fracture and damaged a wiring loom and a section of the wing. No one on board was injured.
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