Airline Says Dc9 Stabilizer Parts Not Damaged; shavings came from repairs: NTSB/FAA no comment

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Nwa Says Dc9 Parts Not Damaged

Source: The Commercial Appeal Memphis, TN Publication date: Feb 25, 2000

[Northwest Airlines Corp.] said Thursday metal shavings found with tail-wing parts on three of its planes similar to the Alaska Airlines jet that crashed last month came from repairs and didn't indicate damage. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered U.S. carriers to inspect more than 1,100 MD-80s and similar aircraft after horizontal stabilizers became the focus of the Alaska Airlines crash that killed all 88 people aboard. The inspections turned up 22 planes with possible damage.

Northwest was one of several airlines that found metal shavings or residue in the grease on its planes' stabilizer jackscrews. The St. Paul, Minn.-based carrier said the shavings on the DC9s turned out to be aluminum drill filings from sheet metal repairs.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, didn't immediately comment on whether the other planes found in inspections to have possible damage may actually have had residue from repairs. That could indicate that jackscrew damage may not have been as widespread on U.S. planes as initial inspections showed. The FAA also declined to comment.

The jackscrew became the focus of [Alaska Air Group Inc.]'s Alaska Airlines crash after investigators recovered the part and found metal shavings of the same material as a gimbal nut, which normally would be attached to the jackscrew. The nut, found later, was heavily damaged.

The jackscrew helps lift and lower the horizontal stabilizer, which is a movable part on the plane's tail that controls the aircraft's vertical pitch.

Publication date: Feb 25, 2000 ) 2000, NewsReal, Inc.

http://beta.newsreal.com/cgi-bin/NewsService?osform_template=pages/newsrealStory&ID=newsreal&storypath=News/Story_2000_02_27.NRdb@2@1@3@210&path=News/Category.NRdb@2@2

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 27, 2000

Answers

...metal shavings found with tail-wing parts on three of its planes similar to the Alaska Airlines jet that crashed last month came from repairs and didn't indicate damage. . . .

I'm having a hard time with this one. Maybe metal shavings left on or near a critical part aren't "damage" per se, but it sure sounds like it could cause some potential damage. Are maintenance procedures that sloppy these days?

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), February 27, 2000.


Who does the repair work? What was the cause of the repair? Same parts different planes? Who manufactured the original component? Maybe I should change my handle to OWL.

-- charlie (cml@workmail.com), February 27, 2000.

Shavings my ass. Shavings got nothing to do with the damn crash and the NTSB damn well knows it. They look at these parts with an electron microscope and find miniscule traces of metal residue and try to tell us that this is the cause of the accident? Hah! I guess your average American moron is dumb enough to believe it because the gubmint says so. Jeeeezuz H. Christmas, get a clue!

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), February 27, 2000.

Let's see.... steel jackscrew + brass ball nut = aluminum shavings?

Hawk your chips aren't just defective then, they're capable of alchemy. Think we can buy some capable of turning aluminum into silver or gold?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), February 27, 2000.


---and alaska airline pilots are smelling rats, too. check out latest story up at Sightings.

-- coulditbe (anaccident@weaponstesting.whoops), February 27, 2000.


Sheesh..."aluminum drill filings from sheet metal repairs." Give me a break. Who certifies these bozos to repair the planes? Why are they doing sheet metal repairs on the tail sections? This "spin" is just causing more questions to be asked.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.XNet), February 27, 2000.

WW,

The shavings might be a RESULT of the malfunctioning stabilizer, but they are not the CAUSE. If you don't see the difference then you are just as dimwitted as the NTSB is hoping the public is.

When are we going to hear about what CAUSED the jackscrew assembly to produce these shavings?? In the case of Flight 261, the shavings were clearly not normal wear and tear. In the case of other planes, there may be a small amount of reside produced by normal friction, but not enough to cause the assembly to get torn up like it was on 261.

Are you honestly willing to accept the explanation that shavings CAUSED this accident, and just forget about it, because everything will be fine as long as they clean them off other planes?? I find that simply incomprehensible.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), February 27, 2000.


How do you get aluminum shavings in the tail of an aircraft?

Drill out some aluminum rivets like those used to hold skin panels on the plane and you get aluminum shavings. Very few skin panels have screws or quick-release fasteners. Hence, if you wanna get inside the tail to do some repairs, like changing jackscrews, control cables, hydraulic cylinders and such, you gotta drill out rivets.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), February 28, 2000.


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