Investigation Summary
Saudia Flight 162 was climbing through 29,000 feet over the Gulf of Bahrain when a fatigue failure occurred in the hub flange of one of the main landing gear wheels. The failure caused the tire to explode with sufficient force to penetrate the aircraft's pressure hull and cabin floor. The sudden decompression created a hole that sucked a 14 year old girl and a 1.5 year old boy out of the aircraft; their bodies were never recovered. The explosion also caused significant internal damage, including the loss of hydraulic systems A and B, the failure of the number 2 (tail-mounted) engine power generator, and the jamming of the flaps. Captain Fouad Zaghaba found the aircraft required constant left aileron input to maintain level flight. Due to the hydraulic and electrical failures, the crew had to manually deploy oxygen masks and eventually landed at Doha International Airport with flaps retracted after jettisoning 16 tons of fuel to reduce landing weight. The aircraft landed safely, though evacuation slides failed to inflate. Although the flight engineer started the auxiliary power unit (APU) after landing, it could not be connected to the busbar to provide the necessary power for the slides, necessitating the use of airstairs for disembarkation. During the event and subsequent evacuation, five passengers sustained minor injuries and required hospitalization.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the fatigue failure of a wheel hub flange manufactured by B.F. Goodrich. The failure was attributed to a design that did not adequately account for the safety risks of such a rupture. Lockheed and B.F. Goodrich were found to share responsibility for the design flaw, while the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was cited for inadequate oversight of the manufacturers' safety assessments. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and returned to service.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Main Landing Gear Wheel
A fatigue failure in the wheel hub flange caused the tire to burst under high pressure, sending debris through the fuselage.
Hydraulic Systems A and B
These systems failed due to damage from the tire explosion, resulting in the loss of flap control.
Engine 2 Power Generator
The generator failed during the incident, which later prevented the automatic inflation of evacuation slides upon landing.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident occurred just four months after the total-loss fire of Saudia Flight 163, another L-1011 TriStar.
- 02The two fatalities were a 14-year-old girl and a 1.5-year-old boy who were sucked out of the cabin.
- 03Five passengers sustained minor injuries during the incident and were hospitalized following the evacuation in Doha.
- 04The cockpit voice recorder was overwritten because it continued to run after the landing, and the flight data recorder provided only erroneous data.
- 05The aircraft involved, HZ-AHJ, was repaired and remained in service until 1999.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Wheel Design Review
The investigation led to a re-evaluation of the safety risks associated with the specific B.F. Goodrich wheel hub design used on the L-1011.
FAA Oversight Improvements
The report called for more rigorous FAA oversight regarding manufacturer safety assessments for critical components like landing gear wheels.