US Airways Belly Buttons?

[EditorASC]

Just heard on the news that some US Airways planes have been found with puncture holes in the belly. FBI is investigating, and they say the holes look like they were made with a screwdriver.............

Deliberate damage, by someone having access to the planes? Sure looks that way................ :\

[Passenger Mark]

I heard about this today...

Now Bob you know you can't post a thread like that and there aren't going to be questions! :shocked

Ok... first one... would holes poked in the skin of a aircraft cause problems... such as a failure of the aircraft?

My thoughts, and guess are no, that it would not affect the ability of the aircraft to fly, and fly safely.

Next question is did the these airliners actually fly that way, or was it discovered by the pilots on their walkabout?

[EditorASC]

I dunno if they had any flights before they were discovered. If they were just a few holes, the size of the average screw-driver tip, then the pressure loss would have been compensated for by the exhaust valves closing down a little bit more.

The holes in the skin would not present a current danger unless the screwdrivers also punctured something else, like electrical, hydraulic lines. But, if not discovered soon, they would be a place for stress fractures to start and for corrosion to get a foothold.

Sounds like disgruntled employees to me, retaliating for having to take further wage and benefit cuts, to keep the company from going down the drain.

The repairs on the planes will not be cheap.............. :fuming

[xiknal]

US Airways was just handed an across-the-board 21% pay cut a few days ago as part of its bankruptcy negotiations. It would sure make sense that a disgruntled employee would be the culprit rather than an unauthorized person who somehow gained access.

I have a friend who's a captain for US Airways. Today he said he hadn't yet heard about this, but he's gonna find out. I will pass on whatever I hear from him.

[spleisher]

Oh brother!!!:banghead :cuss

[EditorASC]

"It would sure make sense that a disgruntled employee would be the culprit rather than an unauthorized person who somehow gained access."

[xiknal]

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There was a lot of deliberate sabotage by employees, during the Eastern Airlines strike. One pilot was caught on video tape doing damage to an aircraft. ALPA tried, but failed, to get his job back, because there was no denying that kind of evidence. But, they did succeed in getting UAL management to hire only striking pilots from Eastern, after the company folded-----including the one fired for that sabotage.............:jawdrop