> A DC10 had a triple engine failure due to all three oil drain
plugs being the wrong
 > part number,

Hi all:

        Wasn't that one no O-rings on the plugs? I seem to remember
watching the video of the mechanics trying to explain why they didn't
install O-rings w/ the plugs...
Something to the effect of the parts dept. gave them new plugs and
they installed them
w/o checking for O-rings. I remember being embarassed being an A&P
while watching them in front of the NTSB.
        The crew shut the 1st one down when the low oil pressure
light came on, and
that one restarted after the other 2 failed and got them back to land.

        I once had the entire threaded insert come out of an Lear
CJ-610 oil tank at run-up - luckily I had saftied the plug up instead
of around - and it didn't come all the way out -so we still had oil
pressure at shut-down. It was the 3rd max power run of the night
before it failed.

Regards,
James

Good memory!  The old DC-10 part had a plug with an O-ring installed,
but it was changed so that the O-ring was a separate part.  The A&P
didn't look closely at the plug, just installed the new plug like he
had in the past, now sans O-ring. You covered "the rest of the story".

The same sort of wrong part concept could have done something to all three
A300 rudder actuators, leaving the rudder free to flutter.  Or the fin carbon
structure could have somehow deteriorated to a low enough stiffness
that it could flutter.

Bill Freeman
Long EZ builder & pilot
BSME, MSME
EAA Technical Counselor

I think flutter is unlikely Bill. Too slow. I think the fin was weakened
for some reason and the wake turbulence caused it to break off.
Perhaps the wake turbulence triggered  flutter but the fin was weak
for sure. 

BTW Robin tells me that Airbus's in general are known to have a low 
empty weight to gross weight ratio.

Paul Lamar
 
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