Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 23 December 1980
Aircraft Type: Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 200
Owner/operator: Saudi Arabian Airlines
Registration Number: HZ-AHJ
Location: over Qatar – ÿ Qatar
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 291
Component Affected: Main landing gear wheel flangeMain landing gear wheel flange
Category: Accident
Flight SV162 experienced a catastrophic decompression during an ascent near international waters, resulting in the deaths of two passengers. The aircraft, departing from Dhahran, landed safely at Doha International Airport in Qatar. A primary cause was a failure of a landing gear component, specifically a main landing gear wheel flange, caused by a manufacturing defect and inadequate quality control by B.F. Goodrich and Lockheed.Flight SV162 experienced a catastrophic decompression during an ascent near international waters, resulting in the deaths of two passengers. The aircraft, departing from Dhahran, landed safely at Doha International Airport in Qatar. A primary cause was a failure of a landing gear component, specifically a main landing gear wheel flange, caused by a manufacturing defect and inadequate quality control by B.F. Goodrich and Lockheed.

Description

Flight SV162 experienced an explosive decompression of the cabin while climbing through 29.000 feet over international waters near the State of Qatar. The aircraft had departed Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and was enroute to Karachi, Pakistan. An emergency descent was initiated and a successful landing was made at Doha International Airport in Qatar. Two passengers were killed when they were ejected from the aircraft through a hole in the cabin floor which had resulted from the forces of explosive decompression. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The Presidency of Civil Aviation determines that the probable cause of this accident was an in-flight, fatigue failure of a main landing gear inboard wheel flange resulting in the rupture of the aircraft’s pressure hull and explosive decompression. The failure of the flange,was the result of the failure of the B.F. Goodrich Company and the Lockheed Aircraft Company to properly assess the safety hazard associated with the type of wheels installed on aircraft HZ-AHJ. Contributing to the accident was the lapse of effective quality control procedures by the B.F. Goodrich Company and the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration to provide adequate surveillance of the manufacturer.”

Primary Cause

Failure of a main landing gear wheel flange due to a manufacturing defect and inadequate quality control by B.F. Goodrich and Lockheed.Failure of a main landing gear wheel flange due to a manufacturing defect and inadequate quality control by B.F. Goodrich and Lockheed.

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