| Status |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date | Monday 26 May 1997 |
| Time | c. 05:55 LT |
| Type |
 Airbus A320-231 |
| Operator | Air 2000, opb First Choice Airways |
| Registration | G-OOAC |
| MSN | 327 |
| Year of manufature | 1992 |
| Engines | IAE V2500-A1 |
| Crew | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Passengers | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Total occupants | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 182 |
| Aircraft damage | Minor |
| Location | Bristol Airport (BRS/EGGD)  United Kingdom
|
| Phase | Take off |
| Nature | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure Airport | Bristol Airport (BRS/EGGD) |
| Destination Airport | Mahon-Menorca Airport (MAH/LEMH) |
| Narrative | After the aircraft arrived at Bristol, it was prepared for the next flight to Mahon. The oncoming commander confirmed from the Technical Log that there had been no unserviceabilities on the previous flight and that there were no 'Carried Forward Defects'; he also completed an external check which revealed no apparent defects. The pre-start checks were normal as was the start and pushback from the stand. No abnormalities were noted and the aircraft was taxied to the active runway. The first officer had been designated as the handling pilot for the outbound sector and, after a short hold, he carried out a normal take-off. When safely airborne, the commander retracted the landing gear and the aircraft was established in the climb. The flight continued uneventfully until approximately 35 minutes later when, with the aircraft under Brest ATC control, the crew were advised by ATC that parts of a brake unit and some hydraulic fluid had been found at Bristol. The commander then contacted Bristol ATC to clarify the message and it was confirmed that brake unit parts and hydraulic fluid had been found on the taxiway, at the runway hold area and on the runway; he was also advised that the debris was suspected to have come from his aircraft. The commander then made a comprehensive check of the aircraft displays and instrumentation, but there were no fault indications. Following radio contact with his company operations department, who confirmed that the debris had probably come from G- OOAC, the commander decided to divert to London Gatwick. He chose this destination as the most suitable considering his location, the company engineering support at Gatwick, the runway length and his experience of the airport. The diversion was uneventful and the commander took over the handling duties for the approach to Runway 26 at Gatwick. He did not declare an emergency, but advised ATC of the situation and requested that the Airport Fire Service (AFS) meet the aircraft after landing. The cabin staff and passengers had been briefed before the approach. The commander made a gentle landing and then used full reverse thrust to retard the aircraft; auto brake had intentionally not been selected and gentle wheel braking was applied as the ground speed slowed to 60 kt. Once the aircraft had cleared the runway, the commander brought it to a halt and shut both engines down. The AFS were already positioned and confirmed that there was no excessive heat evident from the aircraft wheels; on the flight deck, the crew noted that the brake temperatures remained below 100°C. The aircraft was then towed to the parking stand where the crew and passengers disembarked normally. An initial examination revealed that the No 3 brake unit had failed |
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