The SCP damage to Nimrod XV??? has been assessed as Category One. The damage to the starboard spar has not been formally assessed.
This damage (Enclosure 1) to XV??? comprised of heat damage to:
a. The starboard rear spar at the fuselage joint post attachment point.
b. The starboard mainplane lower skin.
c. The forward face of No 7 Fuel Tank starboard and leaking FRS couplings due to seal damage.
d. The SCP duct, duct fairing and associated assemblies.
e. The aileron output cables and associated pulley.
f. The flap interconnecting cables.
g. Various wiring looms adjacent to the failed duct.
The lack of a maintenance policy allowed the corrosion within the duct to go undetected until failure occurred. The lack of a maintenance policy was a contributory factor.
However, the possible implications of a failure in some other sections of the bleed air system are mitigated by the presence of hot air leak warning systems.
There is no hot airleak warning system for the ruptured duct or the cross-bleed air duct as it passes through the bomb bay.
40. It was noted that:
a. The unreliability of the Mission System Recorder may have led to valuable evidence being lost.
This incident also highlights that it is particularly important that all who are involved in operating ageing aircraft be aware of the potential for failure in areas not previously subject to inspection regimes.
If you have read the BOI report this may all sound familar No its not XV230 its the report on XV227 22 November 2004,