LOT B787 grounded over missing parts.
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New information from some one on the ground at BLR at the time:
To my mind, this means it was a simple "put panel in hole, do up fasteners" job.
Would a fully secured panel ripping off in flight really do so little damage, that a replacement would be refitted without any apparent hassle?
I get the impression that it would leave torn off pieces of itself behind, as well was buckled fastener anchors, torn holes where the fasteners attach to the structure, etc. All of which not shown in the picture and certainly not compatible with simply offering up the replacement and fastening it up within 1.5 hours.
But that's just my laymen's observation.
An AI A320 arrived at 1600 with the replacement panel from a sister ship and the "stricken" 787 eventually took off around 1730.
Would a fully secured panel ripping off in flight really do so little damage, that a replacement would be refitted without any apparent hassle?
I get the impression that it would leave torn off pieces of itself behind, as well was buckled fastener anchors, torn holes where the fasteners attach to the structure, etc. All of which not shown in the picture and certainly not compatible with simply offering up the replacement and fastening it up within 1.5 hours.
But that's just my laymen's observation.
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Found within the perimeter of the airport.
In other words, it could not has been very secure in the first place
But what the Indian authorities are saying makes no sense.
The panel is held on with screw fasteners. Not rivets. Else you'd have to drill them out each time you wanted to check the PACKs.
So why are they saying it fell off due to a riveting fault?
Do they want to try and blame Boeing so they can claim innocence and more compensation money?
In other words, it could not has been very secure in the first place
But what the Indian authorities are saying makes no sense.
The panel is held on with screw fasteners. Not rivets. Else you'd have to drill them out each time you wanted to check the PACKs.
So why are they saying it fell off due to a riveting fault?
Do they want to try and blame Boeing so they can claim innocence and more compensation money?
Last edited by LiveryMan; 17th Oct 2013 at 13:48.
The latest on the "panel" - ATW today -http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_10_16_2013_p0-627548.xml
"a riveting flaw in the panel covering the heat exchanger unit could have caused the panel to detach from the fuselage"
Riveting stuff, indeed.
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Found within the perimeter of the airport.
In other words, it could not has been very secure in the first place
But what the Indian authorities are saying makes no sense.
The panel is held on with screw fasteners. Not rivets. Else you'd have to drill them out each time you wanted to check the PACKs.
So why are they saying it fell off due to a riveting fault?
Do they want to try and blame Boeing so they can claim innocence and more compensation money?
In other words, it could not has been very secure in the first place
But what the Indian authorities are saying makes no sense.
The panel is held on with screw fasteners. Not rivets. Else you'd have to drill them out each time you wanted to check the PACKs.
So why are they saying it fell off due to a riveting fault?
Do they want to try and blame Boeing so they can claim innocence and more compensation money?
I wonder if someone finding the panel in the hangar could have decided that a quick ride around the perimeter road to 'drop it off' was a good idea?
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From what my Indian friend tells me about how businesses go about their business in India, that would not surprise me in the slightest!
Corruption, extortion and lies are acceptable business practices in India!
Corruption, extortion and lies are acceptable business practices in India!
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Perhaps not Boeing's fault after all:
AI blames engineer for Dreamliner panel fall, suspends him
Engineer suspended for panel falling off Air India's Dreamliner | Firstpost
AI blames engineer for Dreamliner panel fall, suspends him
Engineer suspended for panel falling off Air India's Dreamliner | Firstpost
An aircraft maintenance engineer, who was the last to handle the panel which fell off a Delhi-Bangalore Air India flight last Saturday, has been suspended. In all probability, this engineer “forgot to screw back this panel”, an airline official told Firstpost. This official also said though the incident was regrettable, it never had “any safety implications since the panel fell off when the aircraft had already landed on the runway.
Last edited by LiveryMan; 18th Oct 2013 at 06:58.
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well - what a surprise!
I guess I should be printing up some more PPRuNe "I told you so" T-shirts?
But still the press add on the "latest setback after batteries and fires" tag followed by this little gem:
.
Perhaps not Boeing's fault after all:
AI blames engineer for Dreamliner panel fall, suspends him
AI blames engineer for Dreamliner panel fall, suspends him
Whether the panel actuall (sic) fell off because of engineering negligence or because of some defect in the aircraft – Air India needs to handle these planes very very carefully to retain its flight schedules
Yes, BOAC sums up the confusion perfectly. Quote from Firstpost:
This official also said though the incident was regrettable, it never had “any safety implications since the panel fell off when the aircraft had already landed on the runway.
(my emphasis).
If enough Dzus fasteners had been secured to hold the panel on for the flight (say, one at each corner), what sort of landing would cause it to fall off?
This official also said though the incident was regrettable, it never had “any safety implications since the panel fell off when the aircraft had already landed on the runway.
(my emphasis).
If enough Dzus fasteners had been secured to hold the panel on for the flight (say, one at each corner), what sort of landing would cause it to fall off?
If enough Dzus fasteners had been secured to hold the panel on for the flight (say, one at each corner), what sort of landing would cause it to fall off?
But, joking aside, I still don't buy this "fell off, but without causing any collateral damage to the aircraft" nonsense.
Without knowing how rigid the panel is (and its weight), it's hard to say how many engaged fasteners (out of the 30 or so) would have been sufficient to hold it on without sagging halfway along the long edge - more than 4, I would suggest.
And of course the alternative scenario - that it wasn't refitted at all after maintenance, and missed on the walkaround - might simply mean that the F/O, unlike the poor engineer, is better connected and knows where some of the bodies are buried.
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If enough Dzus fasteners had been secured to hold the panel on for the flight (say, one at each corner), what sort of landing would cause it to fall off?
Edit - If it was found at Bangalore, would it be crazy to suggest, given this was reportedly found during the prep for the onward flight, that someone removed it at Bangalore for whatever reason, went for a cup of chi tea and then someone else moved the airplane and spotted it....Nooo, that couldn't happen....
Last edited by fenland787; 18th Oct 2013 at 10:40. Reason: To clarify an even dafter idea
Should be fairly easy to establish the 'office' conspiracy - is it bent, buckled and scraped or not?
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
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Conversely, if it is bashed about..........................(will there be frantic hammering and 'bashing' noises
)
Was there a post saying it was to be fitted to the 'robbed' 787? Cannot be that badly damaged, then.
)Was there a post saying it was to be fitted to the 'robbed' 787? Cannot be that badly damaged, then.
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They cannibalised a newly delivered but not in service 787 in DEL to replace the 'missing' part and the original aircraft went back into service. So the frame is definitely not damaged. Even more confusing.
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My guess is some ramp rat at the destination airport saw the missing panel, got the wrong idea took a photo and sold it to the local rag. Reporter then makes up his/her own story.
Presto: Media frenzy.
Presto: Media frenzy.
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Some speculations.... http://christinenegroni.********.co....actory-in.html
Disappointingly sloppy journalism from the usually reliable Negroni.
Whatever the final facts that emerge from this sorry tale, the one place that the smoking gun isn't to be found (this time) is at Boeing.
Whatever the final facts that emerge from this sorry tale, the one place that the smoking gun isn't to be found (this time) is at Boeing.