What would be flapping in the wind on a B737 MAX?

[BonnieLass]

Been watching the webcam for Schiphol this morning.

An Icelandair B737 MAX landed and there was something flapping about....looked almost like a scarf trapped in the cargo door? at the rear of the fuselage. I managed to get a screenshot (not easy when an aircraft is landing)

The "thing" that I was watching flapping about is the roundish shaped blob that you can see in the dark blue/just behind the light blue stripe

It was literally flapping about just like a piece of cloth....I have not seen it on any other aircraft, so am curious if it might be something caught in the hold door or if it is meant to be there.

[DaveReidUK]

The cargo hold door is in the white-painted area, not in the blue part. Roughly under the 4th/5th/6th windows, counting from the rear.

[BonnieLass]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

The cargo hold door is in the white-painted area, not in the blue part. Roughly under the 4th/5th/6th windows, counting from the rear.

So if it isn't the cargo door where the "thing" comes from, what else on a MAX would be flapping about underneath the rear fuselage?

I have watched several videos of the MAX in flight and in landing stage and none have the frantic flapping "thing" underneath like this one had. It looked and acted like cloth, obviously with the speed of the aircraft taken into consideration it could be a thicker strap of some kind......I don't think it would be loo roll from the rear cabin loo discharge point as paper wouldn't flap about, it would just shred away.

I watch the airport webcams a lot...usually they are running on my pooter screen most of the day...and I have never seen this before on any aircraft, let alone the MAX. It caught my eye before the aircraft touched down and moreso as it landed and passed the webcam beside the runway. Just strange to see anything flapping about like that, reminded me of a footy scarf hanging from a car window whilst driving down a motorway...that is what it resembled.

[BonnieLass]

I just watched another Icelandair MAX taking off from Manchester (wasn't quick enough to screenshot it) and it did not have anything flapping about underneath the rear fuselage. So whatever it was that was flapping in the wind under the Icelandair MAX landing at Schiphol earlier today is not normal insofar as it isn't present on other aircraft of type/airline (or any other type).

Bit of a mystery as to what it was hanging and flapping on the aircraft at Schiphol this morning that may never be explained.

[BonnieLass]

The live webcam coverage has ended, however the footage from this morning is available to view.

The Icelandair aircraft lands at -2.08.40 and you can clearly see a (black/white?) thing hanging down and flapping about

You Tube

[QA1]

Appears to be the potable water servicing access door flapping in the breeze.

[CV880]

Definitely

Definitely a service panel access door that was not latched closed. I don't know the 737 but it looks a bit small for a toilet service panel so probably potable water.

[DaveReidUK]

The Max's potable water connection is approximately 28' 3" forward of the tailcone, 12" R of the centreline and 6' 4" off the ground.

[BonnieLass]

Many thanks for the identification.

As said, it is not something I have seen before so was curious. The hinge on that flap cover is obviously extremely strong having survived a flight from Reykjavik to Amsterdam and not being torn off along the route.

Again, many thanks.

[DaveReidUK]

The door, when open, is edge on to the slipstream, so the forces wouldn't have been particularly high. The aircraft was on the ground at AMS for just over an hour and did a KEF-JFK later that day, so we can reasonably assume that no fault or damage was found.

[Mr @ Spotty M]

DaveReidUK.
I am afraid you may not be correct in your statement that no damage was found.
I have seen many hinged panels that have been left unsecured and have resulted in panel or hinge distortion.
The panel would if damaged be normally high speed taped closed and opened plus re-taped at each destination.
It can take days or weeks before time and spares are available for a permanent repair.

[DaveReidUK]

Yes, in the absence of a post-incident photo, all we can do is speculate.

But it's clear from the video that the panel remained attached to the aircraft in more or less the correct orientation, and the subsequent activity of the aircraft strongly suggests that it was able to be closed flat and secured (whether by speed tape or the latches) to allow further flight.