New aircraft recovery system launched to deal with main landing gear failures

An innovative system to speed up the recovery of aircraft which have suffered landing gear failure has been launched.

UK-based AMS Aircraft Recovery Ltd has designed an over wing lift tooling system to be deployed for the safe and rapid recovery of aircraft disabled by partial or full main landing gear failures.

The AMS team developed their Over Wing Lift (OWL©) Tooling System following an approach by British Airways, prompted by the inclusion of over wing lifting systems as a valid lifting solution in manufacturers’ aircraft recovery manuals. AMS’s system has already been acquired by BA’s aircraft recovery team at London Heathrow, and by the US Air Force. The system can be transported anywhere in the world if one of their aircraft is disabled by a partial or main landing gear failure.

“Historically, airbags have been used for tackling main landing gear failure incidents,” said Mark Knight, Technical Director of AMS. “However, the size, height and wing design of many modern civilian aircraft means multiple airbags are required across a range of sizes, which is both expensive and time-consuming. Indeed for some aircraft, like the A380, airbags are not a viable recovery option.”

Mark added: “The simplicity and cost of our OWL tooling system makes it an attractive investment for airports that have access to appropriate cranes. The equipment provides an effective alternative to airbags and offers a considerably quicker solution for lifting and recovering aircraft disabled by a partial or full main landing gear failure.”

When deployed, AMS’s system is placed at approved lifting locations on the wing, usually using the main landing gear trunnions. The wings can then be lifted simultaneously to enable the aircraft to be lowered onto an appropriate recovery transporter or vehicle, to recover it from the incident site.

The system is compatible with Airbus (A350, A380) and Boeing (B777, B747, B787) aircraft. Development work is currently underway to produce options for other aircraft.

Mark added: “We’re grateful to the team at British Airways for helping us to develop this solution and delighted that they and the US Air Force have become the first customers to purchase them.”

The OWL tooling system is the latest innovation from AMS, which has been at the forefront of the design, development, manufacture and distribution of aircraft recovery equipment for over 30 years. Their equipment enables airports and military air force bases to return to operations as quickly as possible if an aircraft is disabled at an aerodrome.

For more information on AMS’s over wing lift tooling systems, email paul@aircraft-recovery.co.uk or visit https://www.aircraft-recovery.co.uk/aircraft-lifting/over-wing-lift-tooling-system/.