Las Vegas flight "craps" out!

[PurduePete]

Ho hum - another week, another emergency landing for NWA. This time the plane that "busted " was in Las Vegas...

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/200...ws/8186553.html

Two airline passengers were taken to a local hospital Monday evening after pressurization problems on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit caused them to complain of pain in their ears, an airline spokesman said.

The two passengers were among 176 on Northwest Airlines flight 1192 that was 34 minutes out of Las Vegas when it was forced to return because the plane had failed to properly pressurize, company spokesman Dean Breest said.

Breest said the flight, normally scheduled to depart at 2:40 p.m., initially had been delayed almost three hours as crews tried to fix the pressurization problem. After the flight took off from McCarran International Airport, pilots realized the repair effort had failed, Breest said.

The flight turned around and landed safely, and 10-12 passengers were treated at McCarran for pain in their ears, Breest said. He said the lack of pressurization can cause pain in the ears and make passengers lose their equilibrium, causing them to become ill.

Northwest apologized and accommodated passengers who weren't able to make it on other flights to Detroit by paying for their rooms, Breest said.

Those passengers also were rescheduled for a 7 a.m. departure today, Breest said.

 

[local 12 proud]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/200...ws/8186553.html

Northwest Airlines flight 1192 that was 34 minutes out of Las Vegas when it was forced to return because the plane had failed to properly pressurize, company spokesman Dean Breest said.

Breest said the flight, normally scheduled to depart at 2:40 p.m., initially had been delayed almost three hours as crews tried to fix the pressurization problem. After the flight took off from McCarran International Airport, pilots realized the repair effort had failed, Breest said.

Im somewhat puzzled by the statement from company spokesman Dean Breest about the pilots realizaton of the failed efforts of a 'repair'. were they trying to secure a cabin door, perhaps the E/E hatch, plug a hole in the fuselage, jammed outflow valve? etc...

Thankfully they did'nt end up like these poor folks!

November 06, 2005
Mysterious Helios crash explained
August 14, 2005, a Helios Airways 737 crashed in Greece, killing all 121 people on board. The exact cause of the crash was unknown, but aviation experts speculated that the plane's cabin pressurization system failed early in the flight. It was assumed that everyone on board lost consciousness while the plane continued to fly on autopilot until it ran out of fuel.

More recent analyses suggest that at least two flight attendants were able to stay conscious using portable oxygen bottles, but that they were unable to open the reinforced cockpit door in time.

Flight attendants trying to save a Cypriot airliner with an unconscious crew on board were locked out of the cockpit -- by the plane -- until it was too late to do anything, according to the Greek assessment of a computer simulation of the flight. More than 100 people died when the Helios Airways Boeing 737 crashed near Athens Aug. 14. The plane had some kind of pressurization problem shortly after takeoff from Cyprus on its way to Athens and the flight crew lapsed into unconsciousness. The plane continued on its programmed route to a holding pattern off the coast of Greece and flew in circles for two hours. Meanwhile, at least two flight attendants had stayed awake using portable oxygen bottles but they couldn't get through the locked, terrorist-proof cockpit door. It was only when one engine failed from fuel starvation that the computer-controlled systems aboard the plane unlocked the door. "Whoever was conscious in the cockpit had only a few minutes to save the plane," Greek Chief Investigator Akrivos Tsolakis told reporters. The third person in the cockpit, widely believed to be flight attendant Andreas Prodromou, likely didn't influence the plane's flight path. After the first engine failed, the autopilot still managed to get the plane back on its racecourse pattern until the second engine went out and the plane simply fell to earth. Tsolakis also told reporters he's looking into autopsy results that indicated both pilots had heart conditions.

 

[Don Smith]

It was most likely a slow leak. Since it was 34 minutes out it was probably close to cruise altitude. A door left open would show in the cockpit and the plane wouldn't pressurize at all. If the indicator was out they would be aware of that shortly after take off. If a large hole developed in flight then the masks may have deployed (which didn't happen obviously). Probably just your garden variety outflow valve problem. But they should have pressurized it on the ground after they thought it was fixed. OOooo but wait...no regular maintenance anywhere anymore. Send the doctor bills to Doug and little Andy

 

[local 12 proud]

It was most likely a slow leak. Since it was 34 minutes out it was probably close to cruise altitude. A door left open would show in the cockpit and the plane wouldn't pressurize at all. If the indicator was out they would be aware of that shortly after take off. If a large hole developed in flight then the masks may have deployed (which didn't happen obviously). Probably just your garden variety outflow valve problem. But they should have pressurized it on the ground after they thought it was fixed. OOooo but wait...no regular maintenance anywhere anymore. Send the doctor bills to Doug and little Andy

You have good points and I concur, however when the flight was delayed due to pressurization problems Breest states that.. "crews tried to fix the pressurization problem."..This implies the problem was never rectified. Was this aircraft allowed to depart with a known pressurization problem? Or was the ops. check simply pencil whipped? ahhhh yes all things are normal at SCABAIR!

 

[Don Smith]

You have good points and I concur, however when the flight was delayed due to pressurization problems Breest states that.. "crews tried to fix the pressurization problem."..This implies the problem was never rectified. Was this aircraft allowed to depart with a known pressurization problem? Or was the ops. check simply pencil whipped? ahhhh yes all things are normal at SCABAIR!

You and I are in complete agreement on this...The flight crew tried to "fix" the problem??? Give me a break...flight crews can't fix diddly in the air. Their book allows them to do some resets and ops checks and after that its turn-around time. This fix-it session probably last about 5 to 8 minutes max. I was refering to the lack of qualified maintenance on the ground that aided in the delay on the ground. I vote with you Local 12...Pencil whipped :down:

 

[AMFAMAN]

delayed almost three hours as crews tried to fix the pressurization problem.

At least NWA is finally admitting that they can't fix airplanes, only try.

BTW... I getting reports that PTO's beer drinking buddies beer can was wedged into the E&E door causing the leak.

 

[local 12 proud]

At least NWA is finally admitting that they can't fix airplanes, only try.

BTW... I getting reports that PTO's beer drinking buddies beer can was wedged into the E&E door causing the leak.

Yes where is 'finny ole boy' aka, 'Baghdad Bob' at to defend that SCABTAIL maintenance department that has done such a tremendous job of turning things (upside down)...ooopsie, Around. Yea keep up the good work over there finny!!!

 

[ThirdSeatHero]

What I want to know is................

Did anyone pick Vegas in our maintenance gaff pool???

 

[robbedagain]

well too bad we cant blame pto himself but at least we know now just how "qualified" thier scabby maintaince truly are!

 

[Kev3188]

My understanding is that they (the MTX vendor) thought they had it fixed on the ground...Obviously, that wasn't the case...

By the way, as LAS wasn't staffed by AMFA AMT's prior to the strike, does anyone know who the vendor is there (I'm just curious)?

Vegas and SAN (which was staffed) seem to have a *lot* of "big" delays.

 

[PurduePete]

My understanding is that they (the MTX vendor) thought they had it fixed on the ground...Obviously, that wasn't the case...

By the way, as LAS wasn't staffed by AMFA AMT's prior to the strike, does anyone know who the vendor is there (I'm just curious)?

Vegas and SAN (which was staffed) seem to have a *lot* of "big" delays.

Kev,

Don't know for sure, but it could be this outfit...

http://www.jetgroup.net/line/service.htm

 

[Don Smith]

My understanding is that they (the MTX vendor) thought they had it fixed on the ground...Obviously, that wasn't the case...

By the way, as LAS wasn't staffed by AMFA AMT's prior to the strike, does anyone know who the vendor is there (I'm just curious)?

I think LAS was always a road trip for nwa mechanics from a close station.

 

[Nor'Easta]

Now we know what city PTO, is working in! The mafia will eventually grab him up and do as they please .

 

[Spock]

You and I are in complete agreement on this...The flight crew tried to "fix" the problem??? Give me a break...flight crews can't fix diddly in the air. Their book allows them to do some resets and ops checks and after that its turn-around time. This fix-it session probably last about 5 to 8 minutes max. I was refering to the lack of qualified maintenance on the ground that aided in the delay on the ground. I vote with you Local 12...Pencil whipped :down:

Or it could have been like at ALASKA AIR, the ramper rammed a belt loader into the fuselage, didn't say anything - then the damaged area opens up at altitude...

 

[Kev3188]

Nope...No ramp damage found...try again...