In-flight breakup

Last updated

An in-flight breakup is a catastrophic failure of an aircraft structure that causes it to break apart in mid-air. This can result in the death of all occupants and the destruction of the aircraft. In-flight breakups are rare but devastating events that can be caused by various factors.

Contents

Faults in the design or manufacturing of the aircraft can create weak points or stress concentrations in the structure. Constant use and repeated loading and unloading cycles on the aircraft can lead to fatigue cracking. Additionally, pilot error or adverse weather conditions can cause the aircraft to experience more extreme conditions than those it was designed to tolerate. [1] In some cases, sabotage or terrorism can damage critical systems or components, leading to catastrophic failure.

Notable in-flight breakups

Prevention

A range of measures is implemented in aviation to enhance safety and prevent accidents. These measures encompass rigorous design standards, continuous monitoring, and comprehensive training.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 587</span> Aviation accident in November 2001, New York, USA

American Airlines Flight 587 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City to Las Américas International Airport, Santo Domingo. On November 12, 2001, the Airbus A300B4-605R flying the route crashed into the neighborhood of Belle Harbor on the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens, New York City, shortly after takeoff. All 260 people aboard the plane were killed, as well as five people on the ground. It is the second-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history, behind the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 in 1979, and the second-deadliest aviation incident involving an Airbus A300, after Iran Air Flight 655.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviation accidents and incidents</span>

An aviation accident is an event during aircraft operation that causes serious injury, death, or destruction. An aviation incident is any operating event that compromises safety but does not progress to an actual accident. Preventing accidents and incidents is the main goal of aviation safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Airlines Flight 611</span> 2002 passenger plane disintegration above the Taiwan Strait

China Airlines Flight 611 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taiwan to Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aloha Airlines Flight 243</span> 1988 Hawaii aviation incident

Aloha Airlines Flight 243 was a scheduled Aloha Airlines flight between Hilo and Honolulu in Hawaii. On April 28, 1988, a Boeing 737-297 serving the flight suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression in flight, caused by part of the fuselage breaking due to poor maintenance and metal fatigue. The plane was able to land safely at Kahului Airport on Maui. The one fatality, flight attendant Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing, was ejected from the airplane. Another 65 passengers and crew were injured. The substantial damage inflicted by the decompression, the loss of one cabin crew member, and the safe landing of the aircraft established the incident as a significant event in the history of aviation, with far-reaching effects on aviation safety policies and procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviation safety</span> State in which risks associated with aviation are at an acceptable level

Aviation safety is the study and practice of managing risks in aviation. This includes preventing aviation accidents and incidents through research, educating air travel personnel, passengers and the general public, as well as the design of aircraft and aviation infrastructure. The aviation industry is subject to significant regulation and oversight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avianca Flight 011</span> 1983 plane crash near Madrid, Spain

Avianca Flight 011, registration HK-2910X, was a Boeing 747-200BM Combi on an international scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt to Bogotá via Paris, Madrid, and Caracas that crashed near Madrid on 27 November 1983. It took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris at 22:25 on 26 November 1983 for Madrid Barajas Airport; take-off was delayed waiting for additional passengers from a Lufthansa flight due to a cancellation of the Paris-Frankfurt-Paris segment by Avianca for operational reasons.

An uncontrolled decompression is an undesired drop in the pressure of a sealed system, such as a pressurised aircraft cabin or hyperbaric chamber, that typically results from human error, structural failure, or impact, causing the pressurised vessel to vent into its surroundings or fail to pressurize at all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameroon Airlines</span> Defunct flag carrier from Cameroon

Cameroon Airlines was an airline from Cameroon, serving as flag carrier of the country. Based in Douala, it operated scheduled services within Africa, as well as to Europe and the Middle East out of its hub at Douala International Airport, with a second network focus on Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport. The company was 96.43 percent state-owned, with the remaining shares having been held by Air France. It ceased operations in March 2008; its role as Cameroon's flag carrier was taken over by Camair-Co. The company slogan was French: Pour mieux vous servir, To serve you better.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Airlines Flight 811</span> 1989 passenger aircraft accident

United Airlines Flight 811 was a regularly scheduled international flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, with intermediate stops at Honolulu and Auckland. On February 24, 1989, the Boeing 747-122 serving the flight experienced a cargo-door failure in flight shortly after leaving Honolulu. The resulting explosive decompression blew out several rows of seats, killing nine passengers. The aircraft returned to Honolulu and landed without further incident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot error</span> Decision, action or inaction by a pilot of an aircraft

In aviation, pilot error generally refers to an action or decision made by a pilot that is a substantial contributing factor leading to an aviation accident. It also includes a pilot's failure to make a correct decision or take proper action. Errors are intentional actions that fail to achieve their intended outcomes. The Chicago Convention defines the term "accident" as "an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft [...] in which [...] a person is fatally or seriously injured [...] except when the injuries are [...] inflicted by other persons." Hence the definition of "pilot error" does not include deliberate crashing.

The article describes accidents and incidents on Korean Air and its predecessor companies Korean National Airlines and Korean Air Lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing 747 hull losses</span>

As of July 2020, a total of 60 Boeing 747 aircraft, or just under 4% of the total number of 747s built, first flown commercially in 1970, have been involved in accidents and incidents resulting in a hull loss, meaning that the aircraft was either destroyed or damaged beyond economical repair. Of the 60 Boeing 747 aircraft losses, 32 resulted in no loss of life; in one, a hostage was murdered; and in one, a terrorist died. Some of the aircraft that were declared damaged beyond economical repair were older 747s that sustained relatively minor damage. Had these planes been newer, repairing them might have been economically viable, although with the 747's increasing obsolescence, this is becoming less common. Some 747s have been involved in accidents resulting in the highest death toll of any civil aviation accident, the highest death toll of any single airplane accident, and the highest death toll of a midair collision. As with most airliner accidents, the root of cause(s) in these incidents involved a confluence of multiple factors that rarely could be ascribed to flaws with the 747's design or its flying characteristics.

Air France has been in operation since 1933. Its aircraft have been involved in a number of major accidents and incidents. The deadliest accident of the airline occurred on June 1, 2009, when Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-203, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 fatalities. A selected list of the most noteworthy of these events is given below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asiana Airlines Flight 991</span> 2011 aviation accident in South Korea

Asiana Airlines Flight 991 was a cargo flight operated by Asiana Airlines. On 28 July 2011, the Boeing 747-400F flying from Seoul, South Korea, to Shanghai, China, crashed into the sea off Jeju Island after suffering a in-flight cargo fire. Both pilots, the only two people on board, were killed. The accident marked the second loss of a 747 freighter due to a cargo hold fire in less than a year, following the crash of UPS Airlines Flight 6 in Dubai in September 2010.

In aeronautics, loss of control (LOC) is the unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight and is a significant factor in several aviation accidents worldwide. In 2015 it was the leading cause of general aviation accidents. Loss of control may be the result of mechanical failure, external disturbances, aircraft upset conditions, or inappropriate crew actions or responses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-flight fire</span> Aviation accident involving fire

In aviation, an in-flight fire is a type of aviation accident where an aircraft catches on fire in-flight. They are considered one of the most dangerous hazards in aviation, with a report from the British Civil Aviation Authority showing that after a fire on an aircraft starts, flight crews only have on average 17 minutes to land their aircraft before it becomes uncontrollable. Between 1981 and 1990, approximately 20% of all fatalities on US airlines were caused by in-flight fires.

References

  1. ↑ "Aviation Accidents Caused by Pilot Error & Human Factors". Wisner Baum. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  2. ↑ "NTSB's TWA Flight 800 Reconstruction to be Decommissioned". www.ntsb.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  3. ↑ "American Airlines 587". code7700.com. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  4. ↑ Scott, Steve (2003-06-30). "Decay Under Patches Might Have Caused China Airlines Crash". Defense Daily. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  5. ↑ "MCA - Final Investigation Report: Flash Airlines Flt 604 (LOC) - Factual Information | SKYbrary Aviation Safety". skybrary.aero. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  6. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-230B HL7442 Sakhalinsk [Okhotsk Sea]". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  7. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF N950JW Gander Airport, NL (YQX)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  8. ↑ "Event Details". www.fss.aero. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  9. ↑ "What is Aircraft Fatigue and How Can Fatigue Failure Be Prevented?". Aircraft Maintenance Stands. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  10. ↑ "Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) | SKYbrary Aviation Safety". SKYbrary Aviation Safety. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.