American Airlines Boeing 757 with hole in fuselage lands safely at Miami

by B. N. Sullivan

Earlier this week, an American Airlines Boeing 757-200 aircraft made an emergency landing at Miami International Airport after experiencing a rapid decompression.  The incident occurred late on the evening of October 26, 2010 not long after the aircraft had departed Miami en route to Boston.  After the aircraft landed safely, it was discovered to have a hole in the fuselage. No one was injured.

The Aviation Herald published this brief description of the incident:

An American Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N626AA performing flight AA-1640 from Miami,FL to Boston,MA (USA) with 154 passengers and 6 crew, had been cleared to climb to FL310 when the airplane suffered a rapid decompression.  The crew donned their oxygen masks and initiated an emergency descent, the passenger oxygen masks were deployed.  After reaching 10,000 feet the crew requested even lower and descended further to 8000 feet and returned to Miami for a safe landing on Miami's runway 08R about 40 minutes after departure.

A post flight inspection revealed a hole of about 1 foot by 2 feet (33 by 66cm) just above and aft of the L1 door and just above the "A" of the American Airlines Logo.

Visit the Aviation Herald to view photos of the damaged aircraft. Pretty sobering stuff!

If you are thinking this incident sounds vaguely familiar, you are not alone.  When I heard about it, the first thing that came to mind was a similar incident in 2009 involving a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300.  In that case, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probably cause to be: "Fuselage skin failure due to pre-existing fatigue at a chemically milled step."

To refresh your memory, you can click here to read about the Southwest B737 incident.

NTSB Photos: Damaged section of Southwest Airlines B737-300

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has just released two photos from their investigation of the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 cabin depressurization incident on July 13, 2009. The aircraft (registration N387SW), which had been en route from Nashville to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, diverted to Charleston, WV where it made a safe emergency landing. A hole in the crown of the fuselage apparently led to the depressurization.

The two photos released by the NTSB today show "the compromised section of the area of the fuselage that failed in flight."

The first photo (top of this page) shows the section of fuselage skin facing inside the aircraft. The second photo shows the section of fuselage skin on exterior of aircraft.

The press release accompanying the release of the photos said, in part:

The damaged aircraft skin section was visually examined in the NTSB's Materials Laboratory. The damage left a hole measuring approximately 17 inches by 8 inches. The skin in this area of the fuselage is 0.032 inches thick with an additional 0.032 inch thick layer bonded to the interior surface in selected areas.

[ NTSB Acting Chairman] Rosenker said that the initial visual examination found the fractures in good condition and suitable for further analysis. No significant corrosion or obvious pre-existing mechanical damage was noted. A detailed metallurgical examination of the skin section and the fracture surfaces will be accomplished by the Safety Board in the coming days.

Southwest Airlines is now in the process of repairing the aircraft at Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia.

You can click on either of the photos to obtain a larger copy from the NTSB web site.


[Photo Source]

Southwest Airlines B737 with hole in fuselage lands safely at Charleston, WV

by B. N. Sullivan

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 aircraft made an emergency landing at Yeager Airport, Charleston, WV today after a hole in the fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft, operating as Southwest Flight SWA 2294, was en route from Nashville International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport at the time of the incident. The crew diverted to to Charleston, where the plane landed at about 6PM local time. There were no reports of injuries among the five crew members and 126 passengers on board.

Reporting on the incident, the Charleston Gazette quoted a passenger from the flight:

"We heard a loud pop, and one of the panels [on the ceiling] was sucked up tight against the ceiling. You could definitely tell there was a hole there."

Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling, and passengers put them on. "The flight attendants did a wonderful job, walking back and forth and keeping everyone calm," he said.

The plane remained in the air for 20 to 30 minutes, [passenger] Hall estimated, before landing at Yeager. "It felt like a long time," he said.

The passenger described the hole as "about the size of a football," and said that a "piece of the roof was kind of peeled back."

A brief article about the incident on the WSMV.com web site included a photo of the hole, taken from inside the aircraft by a passenger. It definitely looks as though the hull was breached -- you can see daylight through the hole in the photo!

At this point, no one seems to know what caused the damage. Should more information become available, I will post an update here on Aircrew Buzz.

UPDATE: Another photo has emerged, via Twitter user @cjmcguinness. He says this photo was taken by his sister-in-law, who was a passenger on the flight.

A representative of Southwest Airlines has posted the following statement on FlyerTalk.com:

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES PROVIDES INFORMATION REGARDING FLIGHT 2294

Scheduled Nashville-Baltimore Flight Diverts to West Virginia

DALLAS, TX—July 13, 2009--Southwest Airlines confirms its flight 2294, the 4:05 pm Eastern scheduled departure from Nashville to Baltimore/Washington diverted into Yeager Airport in Charleston, W. Va at approximately 6:10 pm Eastern today after a cabin depressurization. All 126 passengers and crew of five onboard landed safely and are awaiting a replacement aircraft in Charleston that will take them to Baltimore Washington International Airport later this evening.

The aircraft cabin depressurized approximately 30 minutes into the flight, activating the passengers’ onboard oxygen masks throughout the cabin. Medical personnel in Charleston assessed passengers and no injuries are reported. Southwest is sending its maintenance personnel to Charleston to assess the aircraft, and the airline will work with the NTSB to determine the cause of the depressurization. According to initial crew reports, the depressurization appears to be related to a small hole located approximately mid-cabin, near the top of the aircraft.

Thanks to Twitter user @danwebbage for providing the link to this statement.

UPDATE July 14, 2009: This morning the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an advisory announcing the dispatch of a team to investigate the Southwest Flight 2294 decompression incident. In that advisory, the NTSB identified the aircraft as N387SW. The FAA Registry data for that registration number lists the aircraft model as a Boeing 737-3H4, serial no. 26602, manufactured in 1994.

A new photo published by The Charleston Gazette shows an individual described as an FAA Inspector peering at the damage to the fuselage from outside the aircraft. In that photo, the damaged area appears to be at the crown of the hull, just forward of the empennage.

The track log for the accident flight on FlightAware.com, which is based on an FAA data feed, suggests that the aircraft was above FL340 ad climbing at about the time of the decompression, traveling at a ground speed of about 450 kts.

UPDATE July 16, 2009: The NTSB has released two photos of the damaged section of the fuselage of the Boeing 737-300.

Interim report on the July 2008 Qantas B-747 depressurization accident

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has just released an Interim Factual Report regarding the sudden decompression in flight of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 on July 25, 2008. The accident happened during the cruise phase of Qantas Flight QF30, which was en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne. The flight diverted to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila where it landed safely, with no serious injuries to the 365 people on board.

After the aircraft landed, a large rupture in the fuselage was discovered.  The ATSB's preliminary factual report about the accident, issued in August of 2008,  stated that one of the cylinders that supplied emergency oxygen to the passenger cabin had "sustained a failure that allowed a sudden and complete release of the pressurised contents," and that "damage to the aircraft's fuselage was consistent with being produced by the energy associated with that release of pressure" from the oxygen cylinder.

Today's interim report elaborated on damage to the aircraft and its systems, with many photos to illustrate. The report also provided detailed descriptions of the engineering tests carried out (and still underway) on components of the accident aircraft's emergency oxygen system, and on similar oxygen cylinders and fittings.

Among the points included in this lengthy interim report:

• there was no evidence of an external explosive event or the use of explosive materials around the rupture area
• no significant maintenance difficulties had been experienced with the passenger oxygen system prior to the accident
• no anomalies in samples of the oxygen gas used to fill the cylinders were identified that would have contributed to this event

Regarding survivability issues, the ATSB said in a media release accompanying the report:

The investigation has determined that, despite the damage to the aircraft's passenger oxygen system caused by the oxygen cylinder failure, the system would have continued to operate for approximately 65 minutes following the depressurisation event. Passenger oxygen was only required for about 5 ½ minutes during the period between the depressurisation event and when the aircraft reached an altitude of 10,000 ft.

The ATSB expects to issue a final report on this accident investigation by the end of 2009.

Here is the link to the report: ATSB Transport Safety Report: Aviation Occurrence Investigation AO-2008-053, Interim Factual - 62-page 'pdf' file

[Photo Source]

Related:

• Qantas Flight QF30 -- Sudden decompression in flight - AircrewBuzz.com, July 25, 2008
• ATSB update on Qantas Flight QF30 accident investigation - AircrewBuzz.com, July 28, 2008
• More information released about the Qantas B747 decompression incident - AircrewBuzz.com, July 30, 2008
• Preliminary factual report issued for Qantas Boeing 747 decompression incident - AircrewBuzz.com, Aug. 29, 2008

...or click here to view all posts about Qantas Flt 30 on Aircrew Buzz.

Ramp Crew Blamed for Northwest Airlines DC-9 Cabin Decompression Accident

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that contract ramp personnel from Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation at Syracuse Hancock Airport were to blame for damaging the fuselage of a Northwest Airlines DC-9 aircraft in May of 2007, and that the damage to the aircraft in turn caused the cabin of a the DC-9 to depressurize in flight.

The probable cause report [NTSB ID: NYC07LA121] says:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The senior ground agent's failure to follow written procedures and directives.

Accident Details

On May 18, 2007, the aircraft, operating as Northwest Flight 1411, was climbing after departure from Syracuse (SYR) when the cabin depressurized. The aircraft (registration N1799U), which had been en route to Detroit, was diverted to Buffalo where it made a safe emergency landing. There were no injuries among the four crew members and 95 passengers on board, but significant damage to the aircraft was discovered after landing.

According to the NTSB:

Postflight inspection of the accident airplane by an FAA inspector revealed a 12-inch by 5-inch fuselage skin tear, approximately 6 feet forward of the forward cargo door on the right side of the airplane. Further inspection revealed that a crease in the skin of the fuselage existed forward of the tear, consistent with the skin being damaged by a foreign object.

So, how did this happen?

The NTSB report explains:

According to the NWA station manager and AWAC ground agents, at some point during the aircraft luggage off-loading or loading process in SYR, the engine of the belt loader quit operating. Three of the contractor’s ground agents attempted to manually push the belt loader away from the aircraft but were unable to do so. The senior of the three decided to use a luggage tug to push the belt loader away from the airplane by entering the “Safety Diamond/Zone” with the luggage tug from the front right-hand side of the airplane, close to, and parallel with the fuselage. The front left bumper of the tug was then positioned on the right front corner of the belt loader, and at some point during or immediately after pushing the belt loader away from the airplane, the upper right-hand side of the tug’s cab contacted the fuselage. The senior ground agent then advised “don’t say anything” to one of the other ground agents who was working the flight with him.

The NTSB report dryly notes that "the senior ground agent’s actions were contrary to published guidance in the company’s training handbook and operation manual."

Good grief! Letting that aircraft depart without a careful inspection after being hit by the tug was irresponsible, bordering on criminal. This thoughtless instance of CYA clearly put the lives of 99 people in jeopardy -- an unconscionable act, in my humble opinion.

If you would like to read the NTSB probable cause report for this accident, here are the links: NTSB Identification: NYC07LA121 - Summary and Full Narrative

[Photo Source]

Preliminary factual report issued for Qantas Boeing 747 depressurization incident

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued a preliminary factual report regarding the in-flight decompression of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 last month. Readers will recall that on July 25, 2008, Qantas Flight QF30 experienced a rapid decompression while en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne. The aircraft (registration number VH-OJK) diverted to Manila, where it made a safe emergency landing. Once on the ground, a large hole in the fuselage was discovered. No one among the passengers and crew on board the flight were injured.

The preliminary factual report issued today by the ATSB reviews the course of events on Flight QF30 and confirms that "the fuselage rupture was aligned with the nominal position of the number-4 passenger emergency oxygen cylinder" in the aircraft's forward cargo hold, and that the oxygen cylinder - one of seven in the bank of cylinders that provided emergency oxygen to the passenger cabin - was missing.

Today's report made clear that one oxygen cylinder had ruptured, and was believed to have caused the breach in the aircraft's pressure hull. How or why the cylinder ruptured has not yet been determined.

The ATSB media release accompanying the report says:

On the basis of the physical damage to the aircraft's forward cargo hold and cabin, it was evident that the number-4 passenger oxygen cylinder sustained a failure that allowed a sudden and complete release of the pressurised contents. The rupture and damage to the aircraft's fuselage was consistent with being produced by the energy associated with that release of pressure. Furthermore, it was evident that as a result of the cylinder failure, the vessel was propelled upward, through the cabin floor and into the cabin space. Damage and impact witness marks found on the structure and fittings around the R2 cabin door showed the trajectory of the cylinder after the failure.

The report includes a number of graphics that illustrate the likely trajectory of the cylinder, based on the observed damage (links below).

The ATSB media release goes on to say:

The investigation to date has also identified other damage to the aircraft, including severing and damage to numerous electrical cables and cable bundles, routed through the lower aircraft fuselage near the point of rupture. In addition, both right side (first officer's) aileron control cables, routed along the right side of the fuselage above the passenger oxygen cylinders, were fractured during the rupture event. However, the aircraft control systems have a redundancy arrangement whereby the first officer's aileron control cables are duplicated by the captain's system, the cables from which were routed along the opposite (left) side of the forward cargo hold. Interlinks between the aileron systems provided the necessary redundancy in this instance, ensuring the continued safety of flight after the event.

Another aspect of the investigation entails cabin safety issues, especially the status of the passenger oxygen masks and equipment. The investigation found that 476 passenger oxygen masks had deployed, and 426 of those had been activated. (Days after the incident, the ATSB had reported that "In all, 484 masks had deployed. Of those, 418 had been activated by pulling on the mask to activate the flow of oxygen.") Of note, the report says that forward crew rest and customer support manager station masks had not deployed.

The investigation is ongoing. Still underway are an engineering investigation into the apparent oxygen cylinder failure; examination of cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder and quick access recorder information; and a survey of all passengers on the flight.

Links to information released today by the ATSB:

• Depressurisation, 475 km north-west of Manila, Philippines, 25 July 2008, Boeing Company 747-438, VH-OJK - Media Release 2008/33, Aug. 29, 2008
• ATSB Transport Safety Report: Aviation Occurrence Investigation AO-2008-053, Preliminary - Aug. 29, 2008 (38-page 'pdf' file)
• Slides used in the media conference - Aug. 29, 2008 (11-page 'pdf' file)
• Audio of the ATSB Media Conference - Aug. 29, 2008 (28MB)

Previous articles on Aircrew Buzz about this incident and the investigation:

• Qantas Flight QF30 -- Sudden decompression in flight - July 25, 2008
• ATSB update on Qantas Flight QF30 accident investigation - July 28, 2008
• More information released about the Qantas B747 decompression incident - July 30, 2008

RELATED: Click here to view all posts about Qantas Flt 30 on Aircrew Buzz.

Qantas Flight QF30 -- Sudden decompression in flight

A Qantas Boeing 747-400 made an emergency landing at Manila today, July 25, 2008, after experiencing a sudden decompression in flight. Qantas Flight QF30 had been en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne. A Qantas press release about the incident said that "all 346 passengers and 19 crew disembarked normally and there were no reports of any injuries to passengers or crew."

The aircraft was said to be at an altitude of about 29,000 ft when the crew reportedly heard a loud bang, followed by a rapid depressurization of the cabin. Oxygen masks deployed in the passenger cabin, and various news reports quoted passengers who said a "wind" passed through the cabin carrying with it loose papers and bits of debris. The crew immediately executed an emergency descent to 10,000 ft and diverted to Manila where the aircraft landed safely at about 11:15 AM local time.

Upon landing, a large hole in the fuselage was discovered, just forward of the starboard wing. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is sending a team to assist with the accident investigation, said in an advisory that the aircraft has a 5 foot hole in the cargo area forward of the right wing leading edge and there is also some wing damage.

News photos taken of the aircraft after it was parked on the ramp at Manila, such as this one from Reuters, show that a panel of the fairing between the wing and the body had separated, revealing substantial structural damage inside. A piece of the aircraft's pressure hull is missing, as well as sections of the fuselage frame. What appears to be baggage or cargo is visible through the gaping hole. In all, not a very pretty sight!

The accident investigation team will include representatives of the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB); Qantas Airways; the U.S. NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Boeing; and possibly others.

In a second Qantas press release, the airline's CEO, Geoff Dixon, praised the pilots and cabin crew for the way they handled the incident. I would like to join in extending congratulations to the entire crew of Flight QF30 for a job well done.

[Photo Source]

Related:

• ATSB update on Qantas Flight QF30 accident investigation - AircrewBuzz.com, July 28, 2008
• More information released about the Qantas B747 decompression incident - AircrewBuzz.com, July 30, 2008

Cabin pressure loss on Continental Boeing 737, with 7 Congressmen aboard

On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737-700 aircraft experienced a loss of cabin pressure while en route from Houston to Washington, DC. The aircraft diverted to New Orleans. No one was injured.

Among the passengers on board Continental Flight COA458 were seven Congressmen from Texas, including Rep. Ron Paul (pictured at right), formerly a candidate for the U.S. Presidency. The other Congressmen on the flight were Reps. John Carter, Henry Cuellar, Nick Lampson, Solomon P. Ortiz, Ted Poe, and Ciro Rodriguez.

The aircraft had departed from Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport and was en route to Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. when the incident occurred. According to various news reports, the aircraft cabin lost pressure, and oxygen masks deployed in the passenger cabin. The aircraft made an emergency descent and diverted to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where it landed safely.

Rep. Lampson released a statement in which he said, "Continental Airline’s personnel and staff were exceptional, executing what seemed to me a textbook performance in emergency procedures. I was very impressed with the level of professionalism and care the crew exercised in mitigating this situation and ensuring the safety of all the passengers."

There is a strange footnote to this tale. The seven lawmakers were returning to Washington to cast their votes on an aviation safety bill. H.R. 6493: Aviation Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday, by a vote of 392-0, with 42 not voting.

[Photo Source]

Passengers fail to don oxygen masks in cabin emergency

When flight attendants do their pre-flight safety briefings, they often see a number of passengers chatting, reading their newspapers, dozing -- just generally not paying attention. You have to wonder if they'd know what to do if an emergency arose -- and if they'd do it.

A crew on a B737 fight over New South Wales in Australia found out this past November that more than half the passengers on their airplane did nothing when their oxygen masks deployed mid-flight, after a potentially dangerous drop in cabin pressure. According to an article in the Australian publication, The Age, fewer than half the passengers donned their masks right away. The rest only did so when instructed through an announcement over the aircraft public address system.

Here's what the article said about the incident:

The report, released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), blamed the problem on a pair of incorrectly adjusted valves which control cabin air pressure.

There was no immediate reason why they were wrongly adjusted.

The ATSB concluded the emergency response of flight and cabin crew was reasonable, considering there was no obvious cause of the problem.

But the response of passengers - all of whom had sat through the safety briefing not much than an hour earlier - fell short of expectations.

"This occurrence highlights the need for all passengers, regardless of how familiar they are with air travel, or how often they travel, to be attentive during the pre-takeoff safety briefing," ATSB said.

"For over half of the passengers to be prompted to put their masks on following the depressurisation, indicated that they may have been unprepared to deal with the emergency.

"A pre-takeoff safety briefing was mandated and served to prepare passengers for situations such as the one experienced in this occurrence."

ATSB policy is not to identify the particular airline.

The incident occurred on November 9 as the aircraft, a Boeing 737 aircraft, flew from Sydney to Melbourne.

Flying at an altitude of 12,000 metres above Jindabyne, instruments alerted the crew to reduced cabin air pressure. The pilot immediately disengaged the autopilot and conducted an emergency descent to 3,000 metres.

Fortunately, there were no reported injuries to passengers or crew during this incident.