NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE87007

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THETRAILERS AND DRAWBARS WERE BUILT TO A CUSTOMER'S SPECIFICATIONS.ALLEGEDLYA SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO A DRAWBAR BREAKING.DELTA CONTACTED THEODI STAFF TO CLARIFY WHO HAS THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THEPROBLEM.ANALYSIS:DURING CERTAIN JACK KNIFE TURNS IN CLOSE QUARTERS MANEUVERS,THE DRAWBAR MAY HIT A REINFORCING WING PLATE ON THE PINTLE HOOK STRUCTURE,WHICH CAUSES THE DRAWBAR TO BEND RESULTING IN THE REAR TRAILER NOT TRACK-ING TRUE.DELTA REPORTS IN SOME CASES THE DRAWBAR BECOMES KINKED, SETTINGUP CONDITIONS FOR A CRACK TO GENERATE.DELTA FOUND THAT WHEN THEREINFORCING PLATES WERE REMOVED, DAMAGE TO THE DRAWBARS CEASED.DELTAREMOVED THE TRAILERS FROM SERVICE ON APPROXIMATELY JUNE 5, 1987, AND BEGANMAKING THE NECESSARY REPAIRS.IT APPEARS THAT DELTA IS REPAIRING THE UNITSTO PREVENT FUTURE ACCIDENTS DUE TO A FAILURE.A RECALL REQUEST TOLEGITIMIZE DELTA'S CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS SENT ON JULY 30, 1987.DELTA HASNOT RESPONDED TO THE LETTER, NOR HAVE THEY RESPONDED TO TELEPHONE MESSAGES.PROPOSED ACTION:UPGRADE THE PE TO AN EA.===