Who blew his bolt?

[B A Lert]

From the ABC News today:

Fallen metal bolt may have come from plane


The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the discovery of a metal bolt which is believed to have fallen from a plane over Sydney's inner west this morning.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the 15 centimetre bolt came from a plane and if so which one.

The bolt was found by Five Dock resident Angelo Margiotta after it crashed into the roof of his home.

"I was too shocked to talk ... because of the noise," he said.

"It was very, very loud.

"This has fallen from the plane. You don't get it from anywhere.

Air Services spin-doctor reckon's it's from a B737.

[Ron & Edna Johns]

From The Sydney Morning Herald 18 Oct

Hitting the roof over jet's dropped bolt


Jano Gibson and David Braithwaite
October 18, 2006 - 4:45PM

An international airline is being investigated after an 11-centimetre-long bolt dislodged from a wing shortly after take-off and slammed into an elderly Sydney man's home as he drank his morning coffee.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has confirmed that the bolt, which smashed through tiles on the roof of Angelo Margiotta at around 8.30am, was a type used on Boeing 737 and 747 planes.

"It is definitely an aeronautical bolt manufactured by a company in America,'' CASA spokesman, Peter Gibson, said.

Based on the make of the bolt and this morning's Sydney Airport aircraft take-off schedule, CASA has identified an international airline as the likely source of the bolt, Mr Gibson said.

However, investigations were at too early a stage to name the company, he added.

The bolt is a type used to fix wing flaps to actuators - "the thing that moves the flap in and out,'' Mr Gibson explained.

"The flap provides extra lift when you are taking off or extra drag when you are landing.''

He said that the loss of such a bolt during flight would not cause any serious safety concerns.

"It's not the only bolt connecting the actuator to the flap ... the whole thing [the flap] is not going to fall off because of one bolt.''

He added that there was "no risk to the wing falling off.''

Mr Gibson said there were two possibilities of how the bolt came to fall off mid-flight.

The first was that it somehow dislodged itself. The second was that a mechanic had accidentally left the bolt on the wing and it had fallen back to earth when the flaps were adjusted over Five Dock.

Whatever it was, it certainly shocked Mr Margiotta, who has a heart condition.

"I was sitting at the kitchen table having my coffee about 8.30am and I heard a big, big, big, loud bang," he said.

He said the noise was louder than a gun shot.

"I used to go hunting. I used to shoot rabbits. I know the noise a gunshot makes. This is worse than a gunshot."

Mr Margiotta contacted firefighters who found a tile "which appeared to have high speed impact damage", NSW Fire Brigades spokesman, Inspector Gordon Boath, said.

Mr Gibson said CASA had investigated three reports over the past 10 years of bolt-like objects falling from the sky into Sydney homes.

"All three turned out not to be from planes. You've got to be careful not to jump to the conclusion that just because it fell out of the sky it came from a plane."



Left the bolt just sitting somewhere on the wing??? And the jet is allegedly an international arrival? These journos are priceless.... :eek:

[chemical alli]

looked like a 747 flap flight roller bolt or a flap canoe aft attach bolt,couldnt tell if it had a split pin hole though the media are priceless with their assumptions,:rolleyes: anyone have any other ideas?

[Spitty42]

Variable Camber L/E flap actuating mechanism pivot bolt. Most likely SQ.

[Roger Standby]

Lucky the CASA spokesman has reassured the travelling public

He added that there was "no risk to the wing falling off":}

ROFLMAO.

[pakeha-boy]

For those of us who fix and fly these aircraft....I am not personally surprised,stuff falls off Aircraft all the time...(just look at the initial cause of the concorde crash)....luckily,most of the time it doesnt hit anything or anybody...over the years have lost "several parts",generally small stuff.....bolts,screws...and a couple of panels...ie refueling/waste doors...usually found missing on the post flight...... ...whats that about "sweeping it under the carpet"......

The worst thing that could happen,and I believe I speak for all is that falling parts dont hit anyone...luckily this bloke and his family were not injured.

[Ultralights]

looks pretty important to me. there are millions of smaller screws/bolts/rivets, but this looks like it might have a few more serious consequences if it fell out, flap alingment? if it fell off the flap system somewhere.... lloks like it still has a bushing attached

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/10/18/bolt_wideweb__470x320,2.jpg

[pakeha-boy]

Ultalights...yeah mate...its a beauty for sure....dont get me wrong,Im not trying to downplay the severity of these situations ......the whole idea is to keep these A/C in one piece and stuck together.........something of this size and nature is truly cause for concern.

Working with LAME,S on a daily basis and having them fix write-ups,you hear some "amazing/head scratching" stories that if reported would shock anyone...not common ,but things do happen..... nuts,bolts,moving parts...they dont always stay in their place!!

[4Greens]

It was a bolt from the blue.

[B A Lert]

Variable Camber L/E flap actuating mechanism pivot bolt. Most likely SQ.

I don't really want to be politically incorrect but........ can anyone imagine any Asian carrier (or its regulatory overseer) freely admitting to such an occurrence? They haven't in the past so why should today's literal 'bolt from the blue' cause them to change their behaviour?

[kookabat]

4Greens....
You're funny.... :D :}

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Pity it wasn't Andrew Bolt.

[Taildragger67]

It was a bolt from the blue.

Cooda been worse :}

http://www.amazingaustralia.com.au/cities/pictures/darwin-bombing-1.jpg

http://www.amazingaustralia.com.au/pictures/MISSILE800.jpg

That's the truck the Hornet destroyed in Darwin in 2000

[regitaekilthgiwt]

BAAlert, I would have thought that it was CASAs responsibility to make sure the aircraft flying in their airspace are airworthy so that they are not a threat to anyone on the ground, any other aircraft in the air or any Australian passengers on the aircraft?

So if it turns out this bolt came from an important bit of an overseas carrier (which obviously isn't confirmed) and this is discovered in Australia, wouldn't it be CASAs responsibility to look into the maintenance practices of the said airline, not to mention make sure they actually replace the missing 'bolt'!

I do agree that if the carrier found out that it was their plane back on their own soil, we wouldn't hear a single thing about it! (Which might have been what u meant..)

[tlf]

That brings back memories, during my instrument rating test years ago I hit a screw that apparently fell out of a Tobago flying around above.
Fell into the right prop and then was flung through the windshield. All happened over Ardrossan.

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

Looks like a wheel bolt, from a split rim.

[APMR]

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson was quoted in the press report thusly:

"The flap provides extra lift when you are taking off or extra drag when you are landing.''

I think he means "the flap provides extra lift for takeoff and extra lift for landing"!

There are enough errors and wild assumptions from the journalists - we don't need them from CASA as well!

[Aussie]

Funny how they always manage to stuff it up!!!

Aussie

[Swingwing]

Taildragger -
Cooda been worse
Love it. I remember that well. T'was the night wave recovery from a (I think) Pitch Black sortie - 30 jets all min fuel arriving back in Darwin all at once. I pitched into the circuit behind the offending Hornet.
We had plenty of fun with the 77SQN FCI whose AIM 7 CATM it was - "bit too heavy for landing were we? Bit much G on the pitch? That's the only Fox 1 kill you guys have had all week...Got him right in the engine block!" etc etc
Funnier still was when the compo claim came in. As you can tell from the picture it wasn't the newest Land Cruiser on the block - but the bloke wanted $50 000+ as I recall - because "he was going to restore it completely and then sell it".
cheers for posting the photo. Brought back good memories.
Swingwing

[tinpis]

I'd know that bolt anywhere

Its off a B733 port side variable cambulatory drive. Part of the high speed thronomister .

We were always asked trick questions about it by Checkies back in the good old AN days:hmm:

[601]

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson was quoted in the press report thusly:

"The flap provides extra lift when you are taking off or extra drag when you are landing.''

I think he means "the flap provides extra lift for takeoff and extra lift for landing"!

There are enough errors and wild assumptions from the journalists - we don't need them from CASA as well!

What IS his background?

[QF MAINT OUTSOURCED]

Looks Like One Of The Bolts That Hold On A Side Load Fitting For The Flap Track

[Sunfish]

My bet is that the "culprit" will never be found. A new bolt and associated bits will be fitted within microseconds of the "offending" aircraft reaching base, that is of course assuming it wasn't accidently left somewhere in the wing, flaps, gear bay etc.

[crocodile redundee]

Thats an EH Holden Front Subframe outrigger to Body mount bolt!!!!!! I smell a Setup here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Biggles_in_Oz]

According to the ABC radio news, Singapore Airlines confirmed that the bolt came from one of their 747s.

[squawk6969]

Surprise Surprise

Anybody read a thread around here about maint. being done up there!

Yeah I know it happens all round, but these guys can get away with some far worse acts than this here and it never gets investigated properly.

OK ducking for cover.:uhoh:

[DutchRoll]

And again on TV news and the print media.

Bad, bad SQ! But it's nice that their spokesperson said the insurance company would be in contact regarding fixing the fella's broken tile on his roof.

[Bleve]

If he's on the ball, he should be able to also organise some free return first class tickets for himself and his other half to Europe. :ok:

[Taildragger67]

Prolly easiest thing to do is offer him free Y-cls tix to Singers on the first A380 service.

Then when that never happens, it's cost 'em nought!! :}

[Sunfish]

Food for thought: But how big is the "equivalent" bolt on an A380? :uhoh:

[sydney s/h]

Here is the "equivalent" bolt on an A380. Imagine this bad boy going through your roof!
http://www.usbr.gov/history/bolt.jpg

[Syd eng]

Absolute Gold, that one.

[Ultralights]

is that a self locking nut? :}

[Sunfish]

Pprune never fails......:ok:

[Redstone]

Wait till you see the split pin used on that mongrel......

[Not Nightowl]

You're all wrong, it's an attach bolt for a phetzer valve!:= := :E

[chimbu]

No, no, Tinpis is correct in stating it is a high speed thromistor but he is being disingenuous. Boeing issued a mod in ’99 to replace the defective batch and subject them to a 100 hour recall. If the press ever got hold of this…..

[Kanga767]

For goodness sake.

There is really no mystery to it. Every port has a box of these bolts. We randomly hide them in transiting aircraft and then run a book on where one will fall out and land.

Sadly, last week I nominated Lithgow. So near and yet so far...:p

(Tongue firmly in cheek)

K