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Old 31st Jan 2018, 02:33
  #11 (permalink)  
tonytales
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Ft. Collins, Colorado USA
Age: 90
Posts: 216
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Aircraft have been overpressurised when being tested (due to maintainer error/neglect), like this KC 135:
But I've only ever seen this kind of damage when the pressure came from an external source during testing. Whilst never suggesting it's completely impossible, I'd be surprised to discover any significant over-pressurisation from the internal cabin pressurisation system. You'd have to line up a heck of a lot of very dumb holes in the cheese slices for that to happen.
We did use an external air blower when testing a fuselage integrity after major structural alterations or repair. On the Connies there was a fitting in the nose wheel well to attach it to. Had the hell scared out of me one day when they were testing an RC-121 that had been converted to the ALRI standard. It was two bays away from where I was. The was a very loud near explosive sound and then horrendous whooshing as a whole fuselage full of compressed air gushed out. It was a cabin window that failed though, one of the round monolithic type and not one of the rectangular ones used on pax types. No one was on board during those checks.
Regarding our over-pressurization, it did take some holes in the Swiss cheese to line up. The "salt shaker" static port was used to prevent insects from getting in and blocking it. But who would have thought that a missing autopilot amplifier could cause an over-pressurization, at least indirectly? Checking the cabin pressure relief valve was part of the post-check runup and adjusting it was common. Not having an independent pressure gauge now definitely seems daft but there was no requirement for it prior to our incident.
We could not use a ground blower on a post-maintenance check test because we were testing the entire cabin pressure system including the cabin compressors, cooling turbines, etc. not proof testing the integrity of the hull. That was where the external unit was used. I remember doing a lot of Connie pressurization runs but rarely had to check DC-6/7 aircraft. After the TWA incident several structural SB's/AD's were issued adding some straps to the fuselage top and reinforcing the aft corners of the nose wheel well.
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