http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12947583
The Americans might love a good court case, but there I think they'd be justified
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| Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=13232 |
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| Author: | pcernie [ Sun Apr 03, 2011 1:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12947583 The Americans might love a good court case, but there I think they'd be justified
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| Author: | l3v1ck [ Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
Pah, I'll see your tiny hole and raise you one upper fuselage.  
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| Author: | EddArmitage [ Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
From the mid-2000s, I present Mr. Mitch Benn. |
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| Author: | pcernie [ Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:54 pm ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare | |||||||||
I always liked this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhzQKNIx ... re=related |
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| Author: | pcernie [ Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
Holed Southwest Airlines plane 'had metal fatigue' An examination of a US plane that developed a hole in its cabin roof in mid-flight has found evidence of metal fatigue in the fuselage. The hole caused a sudden drop in cabin pressure, and Flight 812 from Phoenix to Sacramento was forced to make a steep descent and emergency landing. The jet carrying more than 100 people landed safely in Arizona. Owners Southwest Airlines cancelled 300 flights on Sunday to allow for inspections of 79 of its aircraft. One flight attendant was slightly injured during the incident on Friday but no-one was seriously hurt. There were 118 passengers and crew on board the 15-year-old plane. Investigators said the rip began where two outer panels were riveted together, and that the area around it showed evidence of pre-existing cracking due to fatigue. "We did find evidence of widespread cracking across this entire fracture surface," National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt told reporters. The plane is one of the oldest in Southwest's fleet and has made thousands of flights, but the company said it had undergone all required inspections. Describing the incident, passenger Brenda Reese said the plane had just left Phoenix when she heard a "gunshot-like sound". Witnesses said a couple of people nearly passed out while scrambling for oxygen masks. Aviation officials said the pilot made a controlled descent, dropping 8,000m (25000ft) from 11,000m in about five minutes. The same thing happened to another Southwest jet in 2009. Then, metal fatigue was the cause. The company changed its maintenance programme as a result, but before that incident Southwest Airlines paid millions of dollars to settle charges it was skipping inspections. In 1988, cracks caused a hole to open in an Aloha Airlines plane over Hawaii. In that incident, a flight attendant died. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12953424 Time to get the 'check' book out again I reckon 
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| Author: | l3v1ck [ Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
I don't think there was ever any doubt that this was metal fatige. |
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| Author: | Amnesia10 [ Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:43 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
Yes it clearly looks like metal fatigue. The maintenance proceedures will be looked at and if Southwest cust corners then they could be in trouble. Though the fact that they have had to ground their fleet is costing them enough in the interim. |
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| Author: | l3v1ck [ Mon Apr 04, 2011 1:11 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare |
Just like the Aloha 737's, the Southwest ones had a very high number of cycles for their age. Given the history of metal fatigue in high cycle aircraft, you'd have thought they'd put more effort into checking for it than other airlines. |
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| Author: | Amnesia10 [ Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:35 am ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Southwest Airlines grounds jets over mid-air hole scare | |||||||||
Yes if they do lots of short routes they will be more strained that longer haul planes. In which case the airframes might have to be inspected more regularly. |
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