On thursday the preliminary report will be published. A popped circuit breaker that was found after the landing. Resetting it caused the alternate gear extension to function again. It appears that this fuse is NOT the alt gear extension fuse but some larger fuse protecting a bunch of systems, and it actually seems that Boeing itself wasn't aware that this fuse affects the alt gear. This seems to be a significant oops in their checklists then...
I made a wrong assumption in this case.
Seems to be more complicated than thought at the start.
There is an intermediary report (stating only the observed facts).
There was a hydraulics leak in the right MLG.
The (only) circuit breaker that was in the 'off' position was C829 BAT BUS DISTR, position A1 on panel P6.
One of the circuits this thing protects/powers is the alt gear extension motor.
The status of this circuit breaker is not recorded or indicated by any on-board systems (FDR, EICAS).
After lifting the plane, connecting a ground power unit, resetting the C829 circuit breaker and engaging the alt gear extension system, the gear came down.
They also performed experiments on two sister aircraft, looking how various things (including but not limited to the alt gear extension) were affected and recorded with the C829 breaker off (no mention of the results).
The crew and tech ops followed all relevant procedures, so apparently these do not seem to include checking the C829 breaker.
The aircraft with the registration number SP-LPC, which made an emergency landing without landing gear in November of 2011 at Chopin airport in Warsaw, will not return to service and will be sold.
The Boeing 767-300 with the registration code SP-LPC was operated by LOT Polish Airlines on the basis of a lease agreement with the American company Air Castle.
After the emergency landing without the use of landing gear on 1 November 2011 and the completion of the investigation by the State Commission of the Investigation of Aircraft Accidents, a lengthy discussion and negotiations began between the Lufthansa Group insurance company, the owners of the aircraft, Air Castle, and LOT Polish Airlines.
During the negotiations it was established that the restoration of the aircraft to an operable state was not feasible.
Ultimately, the parties came to an agreement in which LOT Polish Airlines took the aircraft over as its own property, after which an auction was announced for the sale of the aircraft in its current state. The bidding process permits the separate sale of the fuselage and the engines. Bidding will end in July of this year.
"We are aware that the idea of continued operation of aircraft SP-LPC generated a great deal of interest among many people. This solution is best for LOT and allows the opportunity of covering some of the costs associated with retiring the aircraft from service," said Tomasz Balcerzak, Member of the Board for Operational and Technical Issues of LOT Polish Airlines.
