Posted on 07/26/2008 12:58:14 PM PDT by Perdogg
Safety concerns were raised as long ago as February about the Qantas aircraft that had to make an emergency landing after a 9ft hole opened up in its fuselage at 29,000 feet, it has emerged.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
What explodes in a pressurized cargo hold? With enough force to cause such a hole? Other than a bomb?
I think of ValuJet with the oxygen canisters and the tires that caused the fire but thats not what happened here of course.
It will be interesting to hear, to say the least.
“..Australian investigators who travelled to Manila are working on a theory that the aircraft may have been damaged by a pressurised container exploding in the hold, or from a broken panel coming loose on the fuselage. Exploding oxygen cylinders are also a possible line of investigation. “
But wasn’t the opening strange for a bomb-like explosion? There were no jagged, crumpled edges on it.
Besides, if it was a bomb, I believe it’s quite easy to do a residue analysis.
Book marked, and watching to see what actually is going to be offered up as happening...BS, or not...
Oh Good, I just hate those IRON 747's, it the steam engines on the wings that make them so smelly....
What are these people smoking?
A lot of aluminum and fiberglass, but not much iron ... or iron oxide.
;-)
Not the skin and frame, but how about the fasteners?? I sure make a lot of steel and stainless fasteners for Boeing.
Jack
Just like TWA 800, this Quantas flight got the infamous “center fuel tank” problem. The center fuel tank was very near this “problem” wasn’t it? That’s it!!! AAHHAA! The Nazis at the NTSB will probably blab this. They are nothing more than stooges. I haven’t flown since 1999 and I have no reason to fly now. Guess what’s next? The USA FLIGHT airline. Isn’t that what Russia did years ago? AEROFLOT.
That is the problem. The steel is galvanically more nobel than aluminum. The aluminum corrodes until the fasteners fail. Think of a rivet hole as becoming bigger and bigger.
You must have made your post while I was 2 fingering mine out!! Being at sea for many years I have seen MANY examples of mixed metal corrosion. Maybe make the fasteners out of ZINC?? At least the panels would fall off while still in one piece ;)
Jack
.......Speculation that rust contributed to the accident was also dismissed ......
Wonder what presstitute idiot speculated about rust in an aluminum air plane? The author is probably the ignorant speculator.
A missing rivet at the wing root would be a decided weakness in the skin. Once a panel opens up a little the windstream could grab it and away it goes.
While failure along the rivet lines is likely from fatigue, I think the rivets re also aluminum and not dissimilar metal subject to galvanic action and corrosion.
I've been that guy too; the one that keeps the wings attached to the plane. ;P
“I sure make a lot of steel and stainless fasteners for Boeing.”
Aircraft fasteners that are going to be in contact with aluminum are coated with Cadmium if they aren’t stainless. One of the things that was drilled into us at mechanic’s school was dis-similar metal corrosion. I’ve drilled out thirty year old stainless screws on the wing tanks of aircraft that had some corrosion but not enough to cause failure. I’m sure that Quantas is on top of their maintenance. There was something else going on here, although I don’t think it was terrorism.
Yep, all are coated, I really was just pointing out that there is a lot of steel and other exotic metals in modern planes.
Jack
“Yep, all are coated, I really was just pointing out that there is a lot of steel and other exotic metals in modern planes.
Jack”
Oops, sorry, I wasn’t trying to be a smartas*.
You brought out a good point. Aircraft parts are not skimped on, they are the highest quality possible.
Jack
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