Incident Overview

Date: Friday 25 May 2001
Aircraft Type: Airbus A300B4-203
Owner/operator: Pakistan International Airlines – PIA
Registration Number: AP-BBV
Location: 110 nm SW of Lahore – ÿ Pakistan
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Minor, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 255
Component Affected: Rear pressure bulkheadRear pressure bulkhead
Category: Accident
A Airbus A300B4-203 flight PK305 experienced a rapid decompression at FL280, resulting in recovery at 8,000 feet. Control problems were encountered during descent, leading to the rupture of a rear pressure bulkhead. Hydraulic lines and APU fuel line were also ruptured. Investigation revealed corrosion due to proximity to a lavatory caused the failure.A Airbus A300B4-203 flight PK305 experienced a rapid decompression at FL280, resulting in recovery at 8,000 feet. Control problems were encountered during descent, leading to the rupture of a rear pressure bulkhead. Hydraulic lines and APU fuel line were also ruptured. Investigation revealed corrosion due to proximity to a lavatory caused the failure.

Description

PIA flight PK305, an Airbus A300B4-203, suffered a rapid decompression at FL280 about 20 minutes after take-off. An emergency descent was initiated. Throughout the descent, control problems were experienced. The crew was able to recover the aircraft at 8,000 feet. The aircraft landed at Lahore safely without injury to pax or crew. Roughly a quarter of the rear pressure bulkhead was found ruptured and blown into the unpressurized area behind the bulkhead. The flight control cables pass through the ruptured portion of the bulkhead. Hydraulic lines behind pressure bulkhead, and APU fuel line also found ruptured. Findings of investigation indicated that the pressure bulkhead failure was due to unnoticed corrosion caused by its proximity to a lavatory.

Source of Information

https://historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=93204&hilit=AP+BBV#p93204https://historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=93204&hilit=AP+BBV#p93204

Primary Cause

Corrosion due to proximity to a lavatory.Corrosion due to proximity to a lavatory.

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