Previous cylinder failures
To explore any historical experiences with the in-service failure of compressed gas
cylinder/s, the ATSB has discussed the issue with several large manufacturers and
users of transportable compressed gas containers, from both aviation and general
industrial operations. On that basis, it appears that the VH-OJK cylinder event has
been without precedent in the aviation arena, in terms of what is known about the
nature of the failure and the aircraft damage sustained. Aviation oxygen cylinders
have failed on-board aircraft previously, however all of the known events have been
attributed to external influences, such as on-board fires or damage sustained during
accident impacts.
Industrial oxygen and compressed gas cylinder failures have also been reported,
however in each instance examined, the failures have been attributed to valve
damage or to improper maintenance activity, resulting in excessive corrosion or
material degradation. While the history of cylinder failure remains under
examination, the characteristics of the occurrence event appear to remain unique in