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Air France plane grounded after technicians noticed 30 screws were missing from wing... after FIVE days of flights
An Air France jet flew for five days before ground crews noticed that 30 screws were missing from one of its wings. The Airbus A340 plane had undergone routine maintenance in China, before flying to Paris and then on to the US before the potentially disastrous blunder was finally spotted. (www.dailymail.co.uk) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
If I am not mistaken, that was part of a maintenance panel, and while it is indeed deplorable that these screws were missed, I seriously doubt that it would have posed a problem to the flight, and really doubt that it was "potentially disastrous". I do see their point about being problematic if it hit something, but not exactly drama-worthy. The biggest problem to me is the sheer lack of attention given by the mechanics. An access panel flying off is generally not a big deal (though I admit that I don't know much about airline operations) but they could just as easily have forgotten some pieces that are quite a bit more important. And how is it "damaged", as stated in the image caption? I could see calling it damage if there was actual, um, damage, but as far as I know the panel and the other 60 screws were perfectly undamaged.
Sorry y'all for the double post; not quite sure what happened there.
U screwed up...
If the information I have is correct, they way these aircraft are engineered and designed, any missing screw, let alone 30, is likely to compromise the design loading of the area in question. Then there is the catch all Type Certificate Data Sheet that technically renders any aircraft unairworthy that does not conform to original type certification by, in this case, having 30 screws missing from an installed panel.
By the way, have you noticed how much the wings deflect upward in flight? If you think 30 screws missing from a panel on any wing that deflects that much under normal flight loading, let alone in turbulence, is no big deal, ask an aeronautical engineer.
Then there is the question of accounting for exactly where those 30 missing screws may be located? Did some tech put them in a separate "tuna can", as some techs I know use for "hardware control", and place it inside the wing? Then another tech installs the panel with the other available screws and the "tuna can" still inside the wing where it can slide inboard when airborne and risk possible electrical shorts and/or jamming an actuator?
Think I am done speculating now.
Think I am done speculating now.