Aerolineas Argentinas flight 737

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Aerolineas Argentinas flight 737
HS748 LV-HHE Aerolineas Bs As 4/26/72 edited-2.jpg

An identical Avro 748 from Aerolíneas Argentinas
Accident summary
Accident type explosive decompression after structural failure
place northeast of Saladas , ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina 
date August 30, 1962
Fatalities 1
Survivors 33
Aircraft
Aircraft type United KingdomUnited Kingdom Avro 748
operator ArgentinaArgentina Aerolíneas Argentinas
Mark ArgentinaArgentina LV-HHB
Departure airport Resistencia Airport , ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina 
Destination airport Monte Caseros Airport , ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina 
Passengers 30th
crew 4th
Lists of aviation accidents

Aerolíneas Argentinas flight 737 (flight number: AR737 ) was a scheduled domestic flight of the state-owned Argentine airline Aerolíneas Argentinas from Resistencia to Monte Caseros . On August 30, 1962, an incident with an Avro 748 occurred on this flight , in which a passenger door was torn out and a person was killed. It was the first fatal incident involving an aircraft of this type.

plane

The machine was an Avro 748-105 Srs. 1 from British production. The machine had the factory number 1540 and the machine was rolled out on March 6, 1962. On June 24, the machine was delivered to Aerolíneas Argentinas. The twin-engine regional airliner was equipped with two Rolls-Royce Dart Mk. 514 turboprop engines . The machine was delivered to Aerolineas Argentinas in the same year and had the aircraft registration LV-HHB .

the accident

The plane took off from Resistencia Airport on a domestic flight to Buenos Aires-Aeroparque (AEP) , with a stopover in Monte Caseros (MCS). About 20 minutes after take-off, at an altitude of 3450 meters, an explosive decompression occurred when the rear left passenger door was torn out. A flight attendant was sucked out of the aircraft through the opening. The machine suffered severe damage to both rear pressure bulkheads and the left front pressure bulkhead. The captain in control of the plane decided to fly back to Resistencia, reduced thrust and airspeed, and was able to land the plane safely.

root cause

The failure of the door was due to a fault in the locking system. The door security mechanism had not been properly maintained. This was due to the fact that manufacturer information on the maintenance of the door lock mechanism was not available. Due to the fragile construction of the door lock mechanism and lack of experience in operating the aircraft type, instructions would have been required to periodically review the system to ensure proper operation. Also, the method of verifying that the middle and lower door lock lugs were engaged wasn't overly reliable.

consequences

After the accident, the machine was repaired and remained in operation at Aerolineas Argentinas. Later it was given to the Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales . The LV-HHB machine, which was damaged in the accident, was involved in another fatal accident on April 14, 1976 , in which it fell after a structural failure of the right wing, killing all 34 people on board.

swell