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B747-400 loses exterior air conditioning pack skin panel shortly after takeoff. Dumps fuel and returns to departure station.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 632361 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200409 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : dxo.vor |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 632361 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed as precaution other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At approximately 55 mins after takeoff we received communications from the company that there was some concerns about our 'cargo doors.' shortly thereafter we were instructed to return to departure station because of concerns about a 'missing panel' that had been found off the airport that had probably belonged to our aircraft. Shortly after reversing course, we initiated fuel dumping. Return, descent, approach and landing were normal. The missing panel was the access panel for the right ground air conditioning connection. It was ripped off at the hinge line on the inboard side. It had been observed departing the aircraft and parts of it were recovered by local citizens and returned to law enforcement personnel. In the aircraft we had no indications that anything was amiss.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B747-400 LOSES EXTERIOR AIR CONDITIONING PACK SKIN PANEL SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. DUMPS FUEL AND RETURNS TO DEP STATION.
Narrative: AT APPROX 55 MINS AFTER TKOF WE RECEIVED COMS FROM THE COMPANY THAT THERE WAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OUR 'CARGO DOORS.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO DEP STATION BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT A 'MISSING PANEL' THAT HAD BEEN FOUND OFF THE ARPT THAT HAD PROBABLY BELONGED TO OUR ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER REVERSING COURSE, WE INITIATED FUEL DUMPING. RETURN, DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. THE MISSING PANEL WAS THE ACCESS PANEL FOR THE R GND AIR CONDITIONING CONNECTION. IT WAS RIPPED OFF AT THE HINGE LINE ON THE INBOARD SIDE. IT HAD BEEN OBSERVED DEPARTING THE ACFT AND PARTS OF IT WERE RECOVERED BY LCL CITIZENS AND RETURNED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. IN THE ACFT WE HAD NO INDICATIONS THAT ANYTHING WAS AMISS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.