Aerolineas B737 Rapid Decompression

[MFALK]

Another website is reporting that an Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-236(A), LV-ZRE, suffered a hole the foreward fuselage near the cabin door causing rapid decompression. Apparently this happened on 18/2/02.

Any further details/pictures of this incident?

[newswatcher]

Aviation Safety site always a good starter for 10! <a href="http://aviation-safety.net/database/incidents/20020218-0.htm" target="_blank">http://aviation-safety.net/databas e/incidents/20020218-0.htm</a>

[ 24 February 2002: Message edited by: newswatcher ]</p>

[hobie]

delivered in Jan 1985 .... not that old!

[DIRECTTANGODELTA]

It was also ex-BA,how good is their maintenance???? <img src="confused.gif" border="0"> <img src="confused.gif" border="0"> <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[HomerJSimpson]

DirectTangoDelta would you care to elaborate on your comment. Are you inferring that BA maintenance is to blame. If so please present some sound evidence? It amazes me that someone uses such a thread to start yet another BA bashing campaign.

I'm quite happy to put my life in the hands of BA maintenance every day and proud of it !!

[Pegasus77]

Think the post about the BA-maintenance a bit odd and a bit wrong as well... I've had a hole in a almost-brand-new 320 once after landing, had NOTHING to do with maintenance, but everything with a stairs-driver who didn't trust himself enough to tell us flight crew he had crashed his airstairs into the fuselage.

Not liking BA is one, producing nonsense here is something else.

[ 24 February 2002: Message edited by: Pegasus77 ]</p>

[flybhx]

I took Directtangodelta's comment to mean how good is the operators maintenance as the aircraft is ex BA and would have been in decent nick when sold on.

[Pegasus77]

Good point, flyhbx... didn't look at the post from that point of view.

But still... don't think such a hole has anything to do with maintenance.

[ 24 February 2002: Message edited by: Pegasus77 ]</p>

[DIRECTTANGODELTA]

To put the record straight,I meant Aerolineas Argentinas maintenance and not good old BA!!!. .Looking at the damage it seems like a structural failure around the floor area.Having seen them in operation they do throw them around (ala Ryanair)and also do short sectors covering many cycles.

[Al Weaver]

The thread title sure seems odd to me *rapid* depressurization??? I think not. From the looks of the hole it might be nothing more than a leak and a failure to hold pressure at the worst. I bet the passengers never even knew there was a problem unless the crew told them what it was.

[PaperTiger]

From the lower photos, the hole seems to be about 3" by 6". Bit more than a leak I'd say. Doesn't look much like a 'crack' (as reported) either, notice the skin still attached at the top. I know little about the 737 external structure, but it doesn't seem to have occured at a panel joint.. .Bump from ground equipment earlier ??

[hobie]

Just to re-assure Direct xxxxxxxxxx ....... any "Airline Accident Ratings" that I have seen put Aerolineas Argentinas in the top Quartile - "Grade A" in fact

[pelican larry]

According to chilean press reports ( the flight was Santiago - Buenos Aires) passengers informed that the plane descended rapidly and oxygen masks were deployed.

[nilnotedtks]

...Why point the initial, accusative finger at anyone's maintenance anyway ? BA's or Aerolineas ? Easy prod is it not and likely totally groundless

[HOVIS]

It looks like the hole is either at the extreme fwd end of the cargo hold or aft of the E & E bay.. .If it's the E & E bay then it is in a difficult area to inspect, and quite possibly could have been contaminated by galley/toilet spillage depending on the internal layout.. .From the photo, however it does look initially like the product of external influence. IE, ground equipment.. .By the way thanks for the vote of confidence re BA maintenance, it was always very good when I was there.

[ 26 February 2002: Message edited by: HOVIS ]</p>