737-700 Loses an Inlet

"f86sabre" (f86sabre) 08/27/2016 at 16:38 • Filed to: Planelopnik

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SWA lost an inlet on a flight from New Orleans to Florida. The article linked sites the engine as being a CFM, but they don’t make the inlet, so it isn’t really relevant. I think that is a United Technologies Aerostructure (UTAS) component if I remember correctly. Regardless, that is no Bueno. Inlets are designed to withstand over pressurization due to a burst anti-ice duct and bird strike, but are basically light weight composite structures.

Edit: second pic added

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 16:48

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Good news is the engine appears to have stayed running.

For Sweden > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 16:48

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Tomorrow’s Curt Lewis is gonna be 

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 16:57

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what about those 2 red handles on top of turbine?

Xyl0c41n3 > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 16:59

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Could you imagine being the passenger sitting in that seat when you hear it come off and then looking out the window and seeing that? Must’ve been very frightening. Big kudos to those pilots.

Birddog > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 17:03

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Oh boy! My (late onset) irrational fear of flying just intensified..

Busslayer > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 17:06

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Parts impacted the wing, the horizontal stab, and punctured the fuselage. Passengers were on O2.

CTSenVy > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 17:12

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Holy Crap! I wonder where all the debris fell.

Also since I have watched too much late night Sci-Fi, “There’s Something On The Wing!”

Jayhawk Jake > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 17:12

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Im not even sure what would cause that kind of failure. Maybe some kind of fatigue damage along the fastener line attaching the inlet leading to it basically ‘unzipping’ and tearing away?

If it was a bird or other object strike I wouldn't think the whole thing would tear away, unless the bird was really big and caused a snowball effect

Jayhawk Jake > Birddog 08/27/2016 at 18:02

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The airplane landed safely and no one was hurt

Birddog > CTSenVy 08/27/2016 at 18:04

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Don’t forget the remake with Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow.

Lithgow did a great job of channeling his inner Shatner.

CTSenVy > Birddog 08/27/2016 at 18:09

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Also, Simpsons did it!

Birddog > CTSenVy 08/27/2016 at 18:11

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I never saw that one! That’s awesome.

CTSenVy > Birddog 08/27/2016 at 18:14

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I think it was one of the Treehouse of Terror episodes, not sure what season but that does narrow it down to about 30 episodes.

Boxer_4 > Jayhawk Jake 08/27/2016 at 19:04

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Is it possible that the intake/nacelle needs to be removed during certain maintenance procedures, and it wasn’t reinstalled properly after a recent servicing?

(Blanket not an aviation expert statement goes here).

f86sabre > CTSenVy 08/27/2016 at 19:37

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It probably broke up into pretty small bits.

f86sabre > Boxer_4 08/27/2016 at 19:43

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Inlets are not removed all that frequently. Engine changes mostly.

f86sabre > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/27/2016 at 19:45

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I think those are latches for the upper pylon fairing.

f86sabre > Jayhawk Jake 08/27/2016 at 19:48

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Tough to say. The -700s aren’t all that old. I have only seen something like this once before and it was an MD-11 on takeoff at max power. The inlet calapsed and got sucked through the engine. The outer skin on these are carbon composite and the inner panels are metal bond acoustic panels. I want to say the lips are 2014-Tx, but it has been a while since I messed with them.

Jayhawk Jake > Boxer_4 08/27/2016 at 20:11

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Possible, but seems unlikely. I'm not sure how they are attached, but it probably isn't just a handful of fasteners

AfromanGTO > f86sabre 08/27/2016 at 21:53

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That’s pretty crazy. I am glad nobody was injured, and the plane landed safely. What exactly caused this? Could it have been a large bird strike like a flock of geese or a pterodactyl?

f86sabre > AfromanGTO 08/28/2016 at 08:46

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Could have been birds, fatigue, corrosion, delamination, unreported ground damage. Any number of things. Will need to see if the investigation discovers anything.