14-inch by 17-inch hole in Southwest Airlines plane
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737
A Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing in Charleston, West Virginia had a hole in the roof that measured 14 inches by 17 inches, the National Transportation Safety Board says.
“The size of the hole is approximately 14 by 17 inches,” NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson has told Vancouverite.
Knudson also says the design of the fuselage is such that a breach of the skin of the aircraft would prevent a larger hole from forming.
Southwest flight 2294, a Boeing 737-300, flying from Nashville to Baltimore Washington International Airport experienced rapid decompression when the hole appeared overhead.
The crew declared an emergency & landed at Charleston, West Virginia.
“The fuselage was designed in such a way that any breach in the skin would tear in a pattern that would limit any damage to a small area and reduce the likelihood of an explosive decompression,” Knudson said.
“Upon our initial examination of the aircraft, it appears that this safety feature performed as designed,” Knudson said following a preliminary look at the damaged aircraft by NTSB investigator Bob Benzon who is leading the accident investigation.
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