Japan Air System said Monday it has found a small crack in the landing gear of one of its MD-81 jetliners, after another MD-81's main left gear collapsed Thursday as the aircraft braked after landing.
JAS found the latest flaw after it suspended operations of its MD-81s and MD-87s with the same landing gear, 17 in all, to carry out inspections following Thursday's incident.
According to JAS, the 1-mm crack was found on the upper part of the right main landing gear. The company said it will report the problem to the manufacturer, Boeing Co. of the United States.
In Thursday's accident, the left wing of JAS Flight 979, carrying 163 passengers and six crew members from Kagoshima airport, hit the runway after the MD-81 landed shortly after 4:20 p.m. on Tokunoshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture. Two passengers were injured.
The left landing gear had buckled, the officials said.
After the jet had traveled down the runway for about 1,000 meters, the wheel carriage in the left main gear was turned backward.
The plane has been in service since August 1990.
Landing gear of this type are required to be replaced after 20,000 landings or 10 years of use, JAS said.