Aircraft Metal Construction Repair

2.3 - Case Analysis 1: Aircraft Metal Construction/Repair

Jumaane Thompson

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

A problem, accident, or incident surrounding aircraft sheet metal construction/repair for consideration would be the Aloha Airlines Flight 243. Aloha Airlines Flight 243 was a Aloha Airlines Boeing 737-297 in 1988 that suffered considerable damage in flight due to an explosive decompression. The plane had one fatality but was able to land in Maui due to the emergency. Out of the remaining passengers sixty five were seriously (non-fatally) injured. At the time the aircraft was considerably old and other factors contributed to the incident happening. This aviation disaster contributed to aviation but setting new standards to stop this incident from happening again. In this case the cause will be reviewed and decide if what was done was good enough, what could have been improved upon, and lastly what could have been done better.

The suspected cause of the explosive decompression on the Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Boeing 737-297 was metal fatigue exacerbated by crevice corrosion considering the aircraft flew in a coastal environment, with exposure to salt and humidity in a nineteen year time span. When the plane emergency landed in Maui the damage done was so substantial that the plan had to be deconstructed on site. The NTSB report concluded that multiple site fatigue cracking on the fuselage at a determined location set off the follow chain of events. More importantly the fatigue cracking started by the knife edge together with the countersunk lap joint rivet holes contributed and concentrated stresses that were transferred through the rivets because of lap joint disbanding. In the time span after such events the aviation community has sharpened up.

In the aftermath of this event not only has Aloha Airlines shaped up, but the aviation industry in general. Due to the NTSB indicating that the maintenance team was at fault for not recognizing such...