Mechanical Failure Caused N.C. Fire Truck to Crash
Dec. 23--The Charlotte Fire Department spent Tuesday inspecting 21 of its oldest trucks after determining that the suspension failed on one truck on Sunday, causing a crash that left a firefighter injured.
Firefighter William Ligon was hospitalized after the ladder truck he was driving overturned on Community House Road on the way to a call in Ballantyne. He had a nonlife-threatening hand injury and is expected to return to work.
The crash was caused by the failure of five spring hanger bolts, which connect the frame of the truck to the axle.
"There was a mechanical failure on the truck," Fire Chief Jon Hannan told reporters. "There was no issue with the driver operation."
On Sunday morning, Ligon and the other firefighters on Ladder 32 heard a pop, then felt the truck sag, Hannan said. The axle moved a few inches and the tire began rubbing against the wheel well, making it nearly impossible to steer the truck.
Ladder 32 had more than 12,000 engine hours and is one of the city's oldest fire trucks. It was built in 2003, according to the police report, and Hannan said it was scheduled to be sold at auction in the next six months.
The city was visually inspecting spring hanger bolts in all fire trucks with over 10,000 engine hours. The inspections had not turned up any problems with other trucks by late Tuesday.
The bolts can become loose or damaged as part of everyday wear and tear, but having five fail at one time has never happened, Hannan said. "We checked with our manufcature and they have never documented this happening before," he said.
Charlotte fire trucks are inspected every three to four months, depending on how frequently they're used.
The bolts from Ladder 32 will ultimately be sent to a third-party inspector to determine what went wrong.
The truck was manufactured by Smeal Fire Apparatus, and the frame was made by Spartan Motors, Inc. in Charlotte, Mich.
A search conducted by the Observer turned up no similiar suspension problems connected to either company.
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