Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 25 November 1998
Aircraft Type: Boeing 767-31K
Owner/operator: Airtours International Airways
Registration Number: G-DIMB
Location: Manchester Airport (MAN/EGCC) – ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Substantial
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 329
Component Affected: Cabin floor structure, E6 compartment panelling, standby system power cable, and electrical arcing.Cabin floor structure, E6 compartment panelling, standby system power cable, and electrical arcing.
Investigating Agency: AAIBAAIB
Category: Accident
A sustained internal structural damage occurred in flight after cargo containers shifted due to improper securing of the hold. This resulted in significant damage to the cabin floor beam, E6 compartment panelling, standby system power cable, and associated electrical arcing.A sustained internal structural damage occurred in flight after cargo containers shifted due to improper securing of the hold. This resulted in significant damage to the cabin floor beam, E6 compartment panelling, standby system power cable, and associated electrical arcing.

Description

Sustained internal structural damage in flight, when cargo containers in the hold shifted due to being improperly secured. Major damage to cabin floor beam; minor damage to E6 compartment panelling; damage to the standby system power cable, and associated electrical arcing. Damage only discovered 25-11-1998 on arrival at the end of a flight from Las Vegas to Manchester. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident: ” Before departing Las Vegas, the rear hold had been loaded with eleven LD2 size baggage containers distributed in two rows of five on each side of the hold space forward of the baggage door, and one container on the left side, aft of the door. The roller mat in the door area, and the right rear container position, were empty. Upon arrival at Manchester, baggage handling staff found that at least two of the containers had moved in flight and had jammed in the rear section of the hold and door area. One of these had penetrated the ceiling of the hold and damaged the cabin floor structure above. The lateral guide stops at the forward edge of the doorway, which act as stops to prevent rearward movement of the containers in flight, were found retracted and manually latched down. In contrast, the lateral guide stops at the rear edge of the doorway, which prevent forward movement of any containers positioned aft of the door, were found extended. The centre guide plates between the two rear pairs of containers were found retracted. Cabin crew seated in the rear cabin had heard a ‘thump’ during the take off at Las Vegas, but they had attributed the noise to a compartment door in one of the toilets swinging open and consequently did not report it. Some passengers also reported hearing a noise, but were told that it was due to turbulence.”

Source of Information

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f06fed915d1374000313/dft_avsafety_pdf_501414.pdf, https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=DIMB, https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/767/28865/G-TCCB-Thomas-Cook-Airlines, http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b767-28865.htm, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABoeing_767-31K(ER)%2C_Monarch_Airlines_JP464286.jpghttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f06fed915d1374000313/dft_avsafety_pdf_501414.pdf, https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=DIMB, https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/767/28865/G-TCCB-Thomas-Cook-Airlines, http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b767-28865.htm, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABoeing_767-31K(ER)%2C_Monarch_Airlines_JP464286.jpg

Primary Cause

Improper securing of cargo containers in the hold during flight.Improper securing of cargo containers in the hold during flight.

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