Landing gear malfunction — aviation safety topic profile

01 · Topic overview

What this profile covers

Abnormal extension, retraction, indication, locking, door, steering, tyre, wheel, or brake conditions affecting ground or flight operation.

Why it matters

System events can alter aircraft capability, redundancy, workload, procedures, and the reliability of other safety barriers. For landing gear malfunction, useful analysis connects the immediate event with exposure, defenses, recurrence, and the wider operating system rather than treating one observation as a final conclusion.

Topic familyAircraft systems & airworthinessAircraft Systems

Family lens

System degradation, warning integrity, technical condition, dispatch decisions, and continued airworthiness.

02 · Definition and evidence frame

Understand the subject before interpreting a signal.

In plain language, this profile examines abnormal extension, retraction, indication, locking, door, steering, tyre, wheel, or brake conditions affecting ground or flight operation.

landing geargear unsafewheelbrake

Evidence to combine

Build a multi-source picture

Warnings and system parameters
Technical logs and maintenance history
Crew reports and operational response
Engineering inspection, test, and component evidence

What flight data contributes

Timing, relationships, and recurrence

Relevant recorded context may include normal acceleration, radio altitude, vertical speed, calibrated airspeed, pitch attitude. Use validated mappings and examine signal relationships over the applicable flight phase.

Interpretation boundary

Do not turn an observation into a conclusion

Flight data can reconstruct symptoms and response but does not replace troubleshooting, approved maintenance data, inspection, or an engineering airworthiness decision.

Decision standard

Keep controlling material visible

Apply the current approved manuals, procedures, authority requirements, investigation evidence, and validated organizational definitions for any operational decision.

Normal acceleration

Acceleration measured broadly along the aircraft's vertical body axis; its touchdown peak can help characterize a landing load when interpreted with other signals.

Open parameter guide ↗ft

Radio altitude

Height derived from radio altimetry, normally representing the distance from the aircraft to terrain directly below within the system's operating range.

Open parameter guide ↗ft/min or m/s

Vertical speed

The aircraft's vertical rate. Different recorded sources and smoothing can produce materially different values, especially during flare and touchdown.

Open parameter guide ↗kt

Calibrated airspeed

Indicated airspeed corrected for instrument and position error, as provided by the aircraft data system.

Open parameter guide ↗deg

Pitch attitude

Aircraft body attitude above or below the local horizontal reference.

Open parameter guide ↗% / ratio / aircraft-specific

Engine thrust

One or more recorded measures of commanded or produced propulsion; the correct signal depends on engine and aircraft type.

Open parameter guide ↗deg or discrete

Ground spoiler position

Position or deployment state of panels used to reduce lift and increase wheel loading after touchdown.

Open parameter guide ↗psi, bar, or %

Brake pressure

Hydraulic pressure or command associated with wheel braking; it is not a direct measurement of tyre/runway friction.

Open parameter guide ↗

03 · Structured review method

From a broad topic to a defensible safety review.

Define

State what landing gear malfunction means for the aircraft, operation, authority, and organization in scope.

Verify

Confirm the provenance, quality, timing, units, completeness, and limitations of every data source used.

Describe

Reconstruct what happened and quantify relevant exposure before discussing causes or corrective action.

Corroborate

Compare flight data with reports, operational context, technical evidence, and authoritative source material.

Test barriers

Identify which preventive, recovery, and consequence-mitigation controls should have worked and how their performance can be measured.

Assure

Assign proportionate action and verify whether the control and safety performance improve without harmful unintended effects.

04 · Analysis frame

Questions before conclusions

Q1
How is landing gear malfunction defined for the aircraft, operation, authority, and organization being reviewed?
Q2
Which precursors, recorded signals, reports, and external data would confirm the event and describe its context?
Q3
Which preventive, recovery, and consequence-reduction barriers should work, and where could they weaken?
Q4
What does recurrence, exposure, severity potential, or change over time show before choosing a safety action?

05 · Related flight-data events

6 connected event profiles

These are terminology and family connections for exploration—not claims that FDM alone can determine the topic.

Search the event atlas →

FDM-009 · Ground & taxi

Prolonged brake application during taxi

Brake pressure or command remains applied for an extended portion of taxi while the aircraft continues moving.

Open FDM profile ↗FDM-028 · Initial climb & climb

Landing-gear retraction delay

Gear remains extended beyond the operator-defined state, height, or time context after a positive climb is established.

Open FDM profile ↗FDM-044 · Descent

Prolonged speedbrake use in descent

Speedbrake or spoiler deployment remains active for an extended descent segment outside the expected context.

Open FDM profile ↗FDM-047 · Descent

Landing-gear limit speed exceedance

Airspeed exceeds the applicable gear operating or extended limit during gear movement or extension.

Open FDM profile ↗FDM-078 · Landing contact

Nose-gear-first touchdown

Recorded gear or load sequence indicates nose gear contact before the main landing gear.

Open FDM profile ↗FDM-090 · Landing rollout

High brake temperature after landing

Recorded or derived brake temperature exceeds an aircraft- and maintenance-specific monitoring condition after landing.

Open FDM profile ↗

06 · Connected deep briefs

Go deeper into the closest ASIP research guides.

Flight Operations

Hard Landing

A structured guide to recognizing, reporting, analyzing, and responding to a suspected touchdown load exceedance without confusing passenger perception with an engineering determination.

Open intelligence brief ↗Aircraft Systems

Flight-Deck Automation

Use mode awareness, active monitoring, and aircraft-response verification to keep automation aligned with crew intent.

Open intelligence brief ↗Aircraft Systems

Engine Failure and Thrust Loss

Separate commanded thrust, actual engine response, system effects, and crew management across partial, asymmetric, and complete thrust-loss events.

Open intelligence brief ↗Aircraft Systems

Fire and Smoke

View fire safety as detection, containment, checklist action, diversion, evacuation, and rescue barriers.

Open intelligence brief ↗

07 · Related official-source reading

12 useful starting points

Original ASIP summaries lead to publisher pages. ASIP does not copy or host the reports.

No copied report filesSearch all related records →

U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationDirect title match

SAFO 23001 — Potential Damage to Nose Landing Gear (NLG) by Improper Towing Procedures of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Regional Jet (MHIRJ) (formerly Bombardier) CL-600-2B19, CL-600-2C10 and CL-600-2D24 Airplanes

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and ground operations. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationDirect title match

SAFO 10007 — Tundra Tire Installation/Approval for Airplanes Equipped with Leaf Spring Type Main Landing Gear

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and airworthiness and systems. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

A320 landing gear downlock

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing and airworthiness and systems. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

Proper Landing Gear Servicing for Safe Operations

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing and maintenance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationDirect title match

SAFO 20013 — SAFO 20013, Right-Hand Control Wheel Removal for Skydiving Operations

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for aviation safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

Airbus Brake Testing

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

Landing with Nosewheels at 90 degrees

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

Take Care of the Wheel Bearings

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for aviation safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

Take Care of the Wheel Tie Bolts

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for aviation safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

Airbus Safety FirstDirect title match

Take Care of Your Brakes

Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for aviation safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source

International Civil Aviation OrganizationConnected safety brief

Annex 19 — Safety Management, Third Edition

Annex 19 consolidates ICAO safety-management provisions, including State safety responsibilities, SMS, safety-data collection and processing, and the protection and sharing of safety information.

Open official source

European Union Aviation Safety AgencyConnected safety brief

Annual Safety Review 2025

EASA's review uses occurrence and accident information to describe performance across aviation domains and to support the European safety-risk-management process.

Open official source

Taxonomy and method references

ICAO / CICTT

Common Taxonomy Team

International work on common aviation occurrence categories and definitions for consistent reporting and analysis.

Open reference

EASA

Safety Risk Management

European safety-risk process connecting data, safety issues, risk portfolios, priorities, and safety action.

Open reference

EASA

Annual programmes and reports

Annual safety reviews and risk portfolios used to identify key risk areas, safety issues, and emerging issues.

Open reference

EASA

European Plan for Aviation Safety 2025

A broad evidence-based portfolio showing the scale and connected nature of current aviation safety issues.

Open reference

SKYbrary

Operational issues index

A practical discovery index for operational safety subjects; official authority and manufacturer sources remain controlling where applicable.

Open reference