Southwest FLT 812 Decompression and diversion
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No problem Sprocky, that was the only one which I could think of. I'll let others more knowledgeable than I answer your questions. 
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There is a lap joint at that location, so either it was corrosion, a substandard repair or a scrape in the surface of the aluminum which cracked from pressurization cycles. Missing rivets thru the aluminum skin to the underlying stringer is also another possibility.
Hope they find the root cause soon and get all of those craft flying again.
Hope they find the root cause soon and get all of those craft flying again.
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Ripping Yarns
How very inconvenient for this to happen to a -300, just before the Supreme Court case involving the firing of the 737NG assembly line inspectors who blew the whistle on the defective chord sections and "bear-straps" from a Boeing sub-contractor?!
What happens when the 1st NG made mid 90s to mid 2000s suffers a sardine can experience?
Put A H F Ducommun in your search engines, ignore the company puffs and look for the nasty bits if anyone fancies doing some research on this topic.
Then buy our ticket and pray.
What happens when the 1st NG made mid 90s to mid 2000s suffers a sardine can experience?
Put A H F Ducommun in your search engines, ignore the company puffs and look for the nasty bits if anyone fancies doing some research on this topic.
Then buy our ticket and pray.
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CGs have a regular NDT inspection on this structure I believe. HFEC as well. Most NDT inspectors I know aren't into the sharp pen business or bowing to pressure from management. Of course I cannot speak for the inspectors that last checked the airframe in question.. Lap Joint?? More possibly a pocket IMHO, but what do I know?
I would like to hang anybody I see scraping lap joints with metallic or non approved scrappers.. they should be excuted..
I would like to hang anybody I see scraping lap joints with metallic or non approved scrappers.. they should be excuted..
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Two observations on a brighter note:
1. This and previous happenings with happy outcomes do speak volumes for the damage-tolerance of the 737 fuselage design.
2. The flying public, seeing this on the TV news and hearing the testimony of witnesses, will be motivated to heed the safety advice and keep their seatbelts fastened at all times they are in their seats.
1. This and previous happenings with happy outcomes do speak volumes for the damage-tolerance of the 737 fuselage design.
2. The flying public, seeing this on the TV news and hearing the testimony of witnesses, will be motivated to heed the safety advice and keep their seatbelts fastened at all times they are in their seats.
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> Ducommun
Good pointer, thank you. Among the first page of results:
Washington Post Article | Political & Social Justice Project | Schuster Institute | Brandeis University
Good pointer, thank you. Among the first page of results:
Washington Post Article | Political & Social Justice Project | Schuster Institute | Brandeis University
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Six Prior SW Depressurization Events
Mar 2009 thru Nov 2010 Service Difficulty Reports
For full text reports, see FAA’s SDR database at this Link > FAA :: SDR Reporting [Service Difficulty Report Query Page] Enter SDR # into the “Operator Control #” field and run query.
Service Difficulty Report – Control Numbers >
SWAA107101 11/14/2010 Reg 773SA No data.
SWAA106876 10/28/2010. Reg 902WN At Fl 380
SWAA094502 07/13/2009. Reg 387SW At FL330
SWAA093897 06/15/2009. Reg 522SW At FL 230
SWAA092547 04/18/2009. Reg 654SW At Fl 290
SWAA091992 03/29/2009. Reg 358SW At Fl 260.
For full text reports, see FAA’s SDR database at this Link > FAA :: SDR Reporting [Service Difficulty Report Query Page] Enter SDR # into the “Operator Control #” field and run query.
Service Difficulty Report – Control Numbers >
SWAA107101 11/14/2010 Reg 773SA No data.
SWAA106876 10/28/2010. Reg 902WN At Fl 380
SWAA094502 07/13/2009. Reg 387SW At FL330
SWAA093897 06/15/2009. Reg 522SW At FL 230
SWAA092547 04/18/2009. Reg 654SW At Fl 290
SWAA091992 03/29/2009. Reg 358SW At Fl 260.
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Sprocky_ger
That is correct. March 2009 $7.5 million settlement was for alleged maintenance violations which occurred in 2008. That figure was reached after months of negotiations - the FAA had originally demanded much more.
That is correct. March 2009 $7.5 million settlement was for alleged maintenance violations which occurred in 2008. That figure was reached after months of negotiations - the FAA had originally demanded much more.
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I was inspecting an A320 fuselage during a heavy mtce check a few year ago and I found a row of missing rivets thru the skin and underlying stringer. So human factors play a major part with regards to mistakes.
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I flew the Aloha 737 that became a convertible about 100 hours before our airline gave it to Aloha. We normally cruised at 35,000 ft. Aloha was only about 20,000 ft when the top blew off. We always train for emergency descents but have never had to do a real one. They did just fine at SWA getting it down. Good bunch of pilots there.
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Techgeek may be on to something. Many of the recent commentators have apparently not read the link to the AD that he posted. Here it is
in summary form without the compliance time limits:
It appears that the observed failure is in just that area. Severed frames would cause a longitudinal crack to develop.
in summary form without the compliance time limits:
AD 2010-25-06
This AD is effective February 1, 2011.
The Federal Aviation Administration is issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of certain fuselage frames and stub beams and possible severed frames, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the frames. This reduced structural integrity can increase loading in the fuselage skin, which will accelerate skin crack growth and could result in rapid decompression of the fuselage.
This AD is effective February 1, 2011.
BS 616 and BS 639 inspection/lower frame and stub beam
15 work hours
This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 737-200, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes ...15 work hours
The Federal Aviation Administration is issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of certain fuselage frames and stub beams and possible severed frames, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the frames. This reduced structural integrity can increase loading in the fuselage skin, which will accelerate skin crack growth and could result in rapid decompression of the fuselage.
It appears that the observed failure is in just that area. Severed frames would cause a longitudinal crack to develop.
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AD-2010-25-06 and SWA 812
Looking at the picture someone posted and a 737-300 Station Diagram it looks like the skin panel that opened up begins around STA 663.75 and continues past STA 706 and ending before STA 727. So, it is close but not exactly correlated with the locations cited in AD-2010-25-06. I suppose the NTSB will have something to say if it turns out this AD was involved.
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Regarding post # 8
<<< 1. did something like this happen outside US also in the past? >>>
It is difficult to say exactly what "this" is until we know more about what caused the event in question. (For instance, was there any prior damage near the site of the failure that was undetected or improperly repaired?)
With that caveat, my understanding is there have been some incidents outside the US involving explosive decompression attributed to undetected (or unrepaired) corrosion or cracking.
A Far Eastern Air Transport (Taiwan) 737 crashed on August 22, 1981, following an explosive decompression event and in-flight breakup. Probable cause was found to be extensive corrosion damage in the lower fuselage structures, probably exacerbated by what was considered to be a large number of flight cycles.
Two other events outside the US involved 747s: China Airlines 611 and JAL 123. My understanding is that in each instance, the plane had sustained a tail strike some years before (22 years for China 611, and approximately 10 years for JAL 123).
In both cases, repairs were not properly performed. Over the years (and thousands of cycles), small fatigue cracks developed, grew, and connected with other cracks. Inspections either were not performed or failed to detect/correct the problem. Both planes eventually sustained an in-flight explosive decompression culminating in catastrophic structural failure, at a total cost of over 700 lives.
The real pilots here undoubtedly know of other such incidents. (I posted this only because it did not appear that anyone had directly addressed the question you raised.)
<<< 1. did something like this happen outside US also in the past? >>>
It is difficult to say exactly what "this" is until we know more about what caused the event in question. (For instance, was there any prior damage near the site of the failure that was undetected or improperly repaired?)
With that caveat, my understanding is there have been some incidents outside the US involving explosive decompression attributed to undetected (or unrepaired) corrosion or cracking.
A Far Eastern Air Transport (Taiwan) 737 crashed on August 22, 1981, following an explosive decompression event and in-flight breakup. Probable cause was found to be extensive corrosion damage in the lower fuselage structures, probably exacerbated by what was considered to be a large number of flight cycles.
Two other events outside the US involved 747s: China Airlines 611 and JAL 123. My understanding is that in each instance, the plane had sustained a tail strike some years before (22 years for China 611, and approximately 10 years for JAL 123).
In both cases, repairs were not properly performed. Over the years (and thousands of cycles), small fatigue cracks developed, grew, and connected with other cracks. Inspections either were not performed or failed to detect/correct the problem. Both planes eventually sustained an in-flight explosive decompression culminating in catastrophic structural failure, at a total cost of over 700 lives.
The real pilots here undoubtedly know of other such incidents. (I posted this only because it did not appear that anyone had directly addressed the question you raised.)
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Ditto, the eldest a/c in the FR fleet EI-DAD! (no pun honestly) is about 4 years old from recollection.
The average fleet age is circ 2.5 years (airframe 300 came in Feb11!)
So with one of the youngest and most standardised fleets in the business, coupled with as strong a maintenance regime as any of the dinosaur airlines they are inherently safe.
If they are anywhere near as "pikey" as a lot of contributors try to imply, how come the only "decent" hiccup they have had was the multiple bridstrike in Ciampino? And whats that? oh yeah they did as good a job as the boys and girls on the BA 777 into LHR
Sorry ill take off my reality spec's now and look at the world in the rose tinted Legacy Is Best -The Rest Is Cowboys and Dangerous
Jeez some days if i had a subscription I'd cancel it
Unfortunatly im addicted to trashy comments as much as i am at throwing my shoes and houshold goods at the TV when ever Jeremy Kyle comes on
The average fleet age is circ 2.5 years (airframe 300 came in Feb11!)
So with one of the youngest and most standardised fleets in the business, coupled with as strong a maintenance regime as any of the dinosaur airlines they are inherently safe.
If they are anywhere near as "pikey" as a lot of contributors try to imply, how come the only "decent" hiccup they have had was the multiple bridstrike in Ciampino? And whats that? oh yeah they did as good a job as the boys and girls on the BA 777 into LHR
Sorry ill take off my reality spec's now and look at the world in the rose tinted Legacy Is Best -The Rest Is Cowboys and Dangerous
Jeez some days if i had a subscription I'd cancel it
Unfortunatly im addicted to trashy comments as much as i am at throwing my shoes and houshold goods at the TV when ever Jeremy Kyle comes on
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The past history of SDRs as SWA is very concerning as it smacks of Aloha but on a far bigger scale.
Its another sign that airlines need to invest in SMS introduction to manage this sort of problem better.
I for one had not realised that they had not been investing in new aircraft like Ryanair.
to M O'L.
I wonder if the AD will now be revised.
Its another sign that airlines need to invest in SMS introduction to manage this sort of problem better.
I for one had not realised that they had not been investing in new aircraft like Ryanair.
to M O'L.I wonder if the AD will now be revised.
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I took a quick look at B737-300 ADs involving fuselage frame and skin crack inspections.
Whats all this doing research before posting?
Don't you realise this is a 'Rumour Network'?
You have confused the whole thread by introducing FACTS!!!
Well done that man