Cathay 747 problem YVR

[reallynoidea]

News1130 - ALL NEWS RADIO. (http://www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20080729_150627_2016)

Monday, July 28 - 12:06:00 PM Kari-Lyn Twidale
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - A scary morning for passengers on a Cathay Pacific 747 jet, as it suffered some unspecified damage while descending into YVR early this morning.
It landed safely, and none of the 363 passengers aboard the jet were hurt.
Jennifer Pearson, speaking for Cathay Pacific says the plane was en route from New York when something went wrong.
She couldn't say exactly what happened and an investigation is under way, but one report says an external panel on the fuselage had popped off.
Pearson says arrangements are being made to get the passengers on another plane to continue their journey to Hong Kong.
Last Friday, a Quantas jet had to make an emergency landing in Manila after an explosion punched a three-metre hole in the fuselage

[Longtimer]

Damaged 747 lands safely in Vancouver
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 | 3:22 PM ET Comments8Recommend22CBC News
An investigation is now underway after a Cathay Pacific 747-400 was damaged while descending into Vancouver International Airport early Tuesday morning.

Airline officials confirmed an external panel on the fuselage was damaged as the plane descended for a scheduled stopover in Vancouver en route from New York City to Hong Kong.

Passengers on the plane reported hearing a noise at about 20,000 feet, said Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Jennifer Pearson.

"Currently we don’t have full details of the exact damage that it sustained, but an investigation is underway,” said Pearson.

None of the 363 passengers aboard the jumbo jet was hurt and the plane did not have to make an emergency landing when it touched down safely at 3:26 a.m. PT said Pearson.

"The first priority is all the passengers and crew are safe. They disembarked and were accommodated in hotels and will be booked on the first available flights to Hong Kong as soon as possible," said Pearson.

Last Friday, a Qantas jet had to make an emergency landing in Manila after an explosion punched a three-metre hole in the fuselage.

[Barkly1992]

According to ABC Online:

"A Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 aircraft with 363 passengers on board suffered mid-air damage while descending for a landing at Vancouver, officials said.
There were no injuries but officials were trying to determine what happened to the plane at 20,000 feet while on a flight from New York to Hong Kong via the western Canadian city, Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Jennifer Pearson said.
An external panel on the aircraft's fuselage was damaged in the incident, according to Ms Pearson, but she could not confirm or deny local media reports that the panel had been separated from the plane."

[PaperTiger]

Pack cover missing: The Aviation Herald (http://www.avherald.com/h?article=40a625a3)

[Left Coaster]

We watched the search for it from the beach in front of where we are vacationing. The Coast Guard and the Canadian Military helicopter where working a pattern in the RAIN! (Only on our vacation...!) We didn't put it together until we heard about the lost panel...anyone know if the lost panel has been found?

[L-38]

A $$ search for an approx 5 ft square panel (probably un-latched)? What a waste of time.

[rubik101]

Have they looked on e-bay?

[Viper2]

A scary morning for passengers on a Cathay Pacific 747 jet, as it suffered some unspecified damage while descending into YVR early this morning.

Reporters .... :yuk:

[Gullwings]

Does anyone know yet whether this large panel fell of the aircraft because someone did not secure it properly or was it because of defective attachment fittings, other structural or system failures, etc?

It was nice to read that someone had proactively decided that it may be wise to try and locate the detached part(s) as soon as possible. Not only could that potentially help with any later investigation, particularly if the failure later turned out not to be caused by an incorrect panel closure problem, but it could have also helped to ensure that nobody was injured on the ground by the falling debris. :)

Whilst on this occasion the panel may not have struck the fuselage or tailplane as it detached, that may not always be the case if this was to happen again on another aircraft. Therefore these types of failures should be taken seriously, even if it costs some $$s to carry out such searches!

May I also say how refreshing it was to read what I personally thought was a fair news article about this event. I could not see anything wrong with the reporter’s statement that it was a "scary morning for passengers..."? I am sure that for many passengers (and even some crew members) it may well have seemed ‘Scary’ to them if they heard something unknown break and then heard subsequent loud/unusual noises/vibrations, etc! On this occasion the reporter deserves credit for not creating an over-the-top “we thought we were all going to die” type of news article. :D

[L-38]

Gullwings - after a career of flying B-747 freighters around the planet, I suspect that you would be surprised on the amount of pieces and parts that these airplane's have shed over the years.

[Gullwings]

L-38 – No I would not be surprised at all, that is why I made my previous comment. Why have so many parts been falling off your B-747 freighters and of course many other aircraft types?

Are the reasons actually being properly investigated by each airline, airworthiness authority and manufacturer concerned and are effective corrective actions actually being taken to help reduce such failures?

Is it usually always just simply a case of someone not closing or installing such panels and parts correctly? If so why are such basic mistakes continually being made? Is it due to very poor maintenance standards, bad fastener/panel designs, deficiencies in Maintenance Manual installation instructions, etc?

Or is it because such panels and fasteners are being installed with excessively worn, corroded, cracked, incorrect or badly damaged parts? If so are such parts being correctly inspected and repaired? For example, are the aircraft maintenance program inspection tasks and inspection periodicities appropriate for each airlines aircraft types, particularly when considering the age of the parts and their supporting structure, etc?

Some people do not realise what damage panels or other parts (particularly large ones) can cause if they strike the aircraft downstream from the point of detachment. That was why I was originally trying to make the point that it is good that proper investigations take place to identify the true reasons why panels/parts detach from aircraft in flight.

[Robert Campbell]

Usually these events can be attributed to screwdriver malfunction.

[Left Coaster]

L38,
With all due respect, I think if something dropped off of my jet in flight, I and my bosses would like to know why? Waiting for it to wash up on some beach and have some clown claim salvage rights on it would be a tad foolish don't you think?
Happy Landings...

[sevenforeseven]

FYI, Pack panels are NOT held to the fuselage with screws. They are latched.:ugh:

[buggaluggs]

Or not latched as the case may be ;)

[OverRun]

I thought most bits fell off when the duct tape got too old and it tore :rolleyes: