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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 2483.PDF
Boeing examines 737 corrosion NEW DELHI Indian Airlines and other carriers have reported a new series of corrosion problems with early Boeing 737-200s, reports Chris Kjelgaard from New Delhi. Operators of early 737-200s are now finding cracks caused by cor rosion in the stress areas around the bottoms of the rear pressure bulkheads. This is seen as a separate problem to the belly-panel corrosion which is thought to have contributed to the August 22, 1981 crash in Taiwan of an early model 737-200 belonging to Far Eastern Air Transport, in which all 110 occupants died. According to a Boeing spokes man, the original 737 belly- corrosion alert prompted a manufacturer's Service Bulle tin dated December 4, 1981, and FAA Airworthiness Directive dated January 9 covering aircraft Nos 1-418. Intensive inspections car ried out by Indian Airlines after the Taiwan crash also revealed severe corrosion in the pressure bulkhead sepa rating the air-conditioning bay from the forward cargo bay. This corrosion would not have been found by normal inspection procedure—it came to light only upon complete removal of the belly panels and intensive investigations of the bottom of the aircraft. But the new problem came to Boeing's attention only recently. Boeing mailed an interim structural advisory notice to 737 operators on October 12. Indian Airlines had not yet received this advi sory when, on October 18, 737 VT-EAJ suffered a total depressurisation of the pas senger cabin while flying from Bombay to Goa. The crew made a safe emergency descent and landing. This depressurisation was found to be caused by a U- shaped crack at the web joint of the rear pressure bulkhead and the supporting frame beneath, at body station 1016. Indian Airlines has since found a similar crack in 737 VT-ECQ. The cracks have so far also been found in six other aircraft belonging to two other airlines. The area where the cracks have occurred is not inspectable during routine maintenance operations, say Indian Air lines engineers. The cause of the corrosion has been break age of a iin diameter drainage hole at the base of the bulk head. Once the crack begins, pressurised air from the cabin tends to enlarge it. Indian Airlines says that the hole is given only a cur sory mention in the 737 main tenance manual, and no inspection procedures are recommended there. Boeing now recommends enlarging the hole's diameter to jin and modifying the levelling and sealing procedures. Indian Airlines has now also found a 737 skin-bonding delamination problem in an early aircraft. This is again corrosion-related, caused by water forcing its way in between the two 0-035in bonded sheets forming the outer skin of the aircraft. Later 737s did not have the problem, because their skins are formed over single 0 • 06in sheets. The airline says that it has also experienced bonding delamination problems with Airbus A300s throughout its operating history with the type. UK merged airlines become Genair HUMBERSIDE ~ Three British commuter air lines, Eastern Airways, Gen air, and Casair, who announced in late September that they were to merge, began operations on October 24 under the name of Genair. Genair's winter timetable includes new services from Norwich to Birmingham, Liverpool to Norwich, New castle to Glasgow, Norwich and Humberside, Humberside to Belfast and Edinburgh. The airline is also offering frequency increases between Humberside and Heathrow, Gatwick, and Glasgow. Piedmont v-p flight ops Gene Sharp receives Boeing's 900th 737. Presenting the plaque, and Piedmont's 54th 737, is Boeing Commercial Airplane Company divisional v-p R. W. Taylor 900"' Hi ^UVEmDOCTOBEft 15,1982 to •§ F % OPERATOR OF THS WORLD'S pismmtrr "RGESr ™ FLEET FLIGHT International, 6 November 1982 AIR TRANSPORT Seychelles seeks Europe traffic growth MAHE ~~ The Seychelles Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has signed an air services agreement with Gulf Air. The agreement, which must still be ratified by the Govern ments of Seychelles and Bahrain, could result in the islands' domestic airline Air Seychelles becoming Air Sey chelles International, plying routes between the Indian Ocean resort, central Europe, and the Gulf. The move is designed to off set a decline in airline seats between the Seychelles and Europe next year and is the first step in a series of attempts on the part of the Seychelles Government to ensure access to Europe. This could be severely curtailed in April 1983 when Lufthansa ceases its direct Frankfurt- Mahe flights and British Air ways alters its route pattern from London to Seychelles via Zurich and Bahrain to a London-Khartoum- Nairobi- Seychelles schedules. Principal secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Capt James Ferrari says that the Sey chelles Government is deter mined to fill the void which the Lufthansa and British Airways alterations will cre ate. Ferrari also said that talks aimed at creating new air service agreements will be held with other countries including Italy, Switzerland, and Australia next year. The Seychelles is cur rently fighting to revitalise its tourism industry which has been on the decline since 1979. The alterations in Lufthansa's and BA's sched ules will leave the islands without easy tourist access from points in Germany, Aus tria, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. Air Seychelles, a Govern ment-owned carrier, presently flies from the capital island of Mahe to smaller resorts such as Praslin and Bird Island with two Britten-Norman Trislanders, and one Islander. Other international carriers linking the Seychelles with the world include Air France, Kenya Airways, Air Tanz ania, and Air-India. 1313
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