Recently a Quanta Jetliner made an emergency landing, because the body of the plane burst during flight. The hole was the size of a car. Federal investigators concluded that the accident was caused by metal fatigue, exacerbated by corrosion caused by sea water.
The plane involved was put into service in 1991. Planes are repeatedly stressed by pressurization and depressurization, and after nearly 20 years of service, the plane may have suffered metal fatigue. The plane had recently undergone an overhaul, and during the overhaul, engineers discovered corrosion in the cargo hold.
While this event was not in the chemical or refining industry, it is a lesson MTI members can learn from. While the lesson is not new, it demonstrates that structures or vessels that are repeatedly exposed to cyclic stress and exposed to sea water or any fluid containing chloride are candidates for cracking unexpectedly.
Submitted by Emory Ford
1 August 2008