NW 1411 makes emergency landing
 

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...450/1003/METRO

Does anyone know any more info about this flight? Looks like a hole in the fuselage caused a drop in air pressure.

Another link: http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6538786&nav=0RbQ

Northwest Airlines spokesman Doug Hartmayer says flight 14-11 experienced a loss of cabin pressure and smoke filled the cockpit during the flight.

A 12-inch hole was discovered in the DC-9's fuselage after it landed safely with 95 people aboard.

Must have happened pretty quick. Flight aware shows a six minute flight from SYR to BUF. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N...654Z/KSYR/KBUF

That doesn't look right, since the full route isn't shown, and their track log has 15 minutes' worth of data.

BTW, that log also indicates a maximum altitude of 18400' which is a good thing - time of useful consciousness is a lot higher there than it is at typical cruising altitudes. AQ243's incident years ago occurred at 24000'.

The log further indicates that they descended to 10000' (where basically anyone can breathe even without the oxygen masks, but especially with them) for most of the remainder of the trip.

Thank god nothing major happened. What causes the fuselage to rupture? The DC-9-30 must have some serious number of cycles behind them but surely are checked against hairline cracks? :confused:

A couple ideas:

1. It could have sustained accidental damage while on the ground, but minor enough that it wasn't noticed or something, or

2. Plain old metal fatigue, with the "minor" (compared to AQ243) results being due to inspections being done much more carefully by everyone post-AQ243.

3) Birdstrike on climbout?

I'd go with 1.

NWA flight diverts to BUF with hole in fuselage
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18782966/

Looks like it is time to retire the DC-9s!

Glad that no one was hurt.

This is old news. Word at airliners.net is that this was pretty definitely due to ground equipment, not metal fatigue.

Oops. Look what happens when I forget to check flyertalk for a day or two. I ask for sincere forgiveness and will check daily for now on as my penalty.

The New York Times has a story about this in today's business section

Seems like somebody really doesn't like the DC9s (or just NWA)! IIRC it was snowing when the DC9 went off the runway in MKE. I think I feel safer on a plane like that - that's undergone such significant mx checks over the years, and had time for flaws to be fixed - than a CR9 or E190 that's brand new...

Not that I think it's all that significant, but there have been cases of not finding out a problem or flaw until the aircraft type has been in the air for a few years, then it gets fixed (biggest example is obviously the DC10). I don't think I'd be willing to fly a CRJ that is 40 years old, but the DC9s, aside from guzzling gas, are good aircraft...I think that's been proven time and again. They may only be worth scrap, but a lot of that has to do with newer more efficient aircraft available on the market today, and that fleet type simply doesn't fit most airline's business models today (the 717 couldn't make a go of it either...).

Further, that's the advantage of having experienced pilots! Steve Forbe's Fact and Comment from a few weeks ago argued that the retirement age be increased for pilots, since experience is so important. They don't state his age, but I'd imagine the pilot had been flying DC9s for a while!

Was this the plane that hit the coyote a couple of weeks ago? :D

Has the cause of the hole in the fusilage been determined yet?
Dave

Hmm... brand new aircraft pose a high threat and ancient don't? :rolleyes:

The MKE incident was a bust engine followed by weak brakes that couldn't stop the aircraft before it went off the runway.

It is amazing how some NW FTer defend the DC9.

Flight NW1411
 

Has anyone heard what the cause of the depressurization on flight NW1411 on May 18th. was? Or more specifically, what caused the hole in the fusilage.
Dave

Initial NTSB report is in. NW is blaming the contract ground operations:

From the official Report:

"According to Northwest Airlines personnel, the height of the damage on the airplane was approximately the same height as the top of the cab of a baggage cart tug used by contract personnel to load passenger luggage onto the airplane."

Although sometimes these issues can come from strikes that happen months or years before the accident happens.

I wouldn't expect an offical reason from the NTSB for months.