Our Airplanes Are Aging

The event perhaps most demonstrative of what can happen as an aircraft ages occurred on April 28, 1988, over Hawaii. Thats when an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737-200 operating in scheduled passenger service as Flight 243 between Hilo and Honolulu lost part of its cabin roof while in cruise at FL240. The crew successfully landed the airplane after diverting to Maui. Of the 89 passengers and six crewmembers aboard, there was one fatality-a flight attendant who was swept overboard during the decompression event.

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Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

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Expectation bias is the belief that you know what is going to happen without preparing for changes that might occur. dani3315/Shutterstock

Key Takeaways:

Aging aircraft are highly susceptible to structural failures, including corrosion, cracks, and metal fatigue, which can lead to catastrophic events like cabin depressurization or wing separation.
These failures are often accelerated by factors such as prolonged exposure to harsh environments (e.g., salt air), high flight hours, and strenuous operational use (e.g., frequent pressurization cycles, training, or specialized survey flights).
Mitigation requires enhanced maintenance practices, including increased inspection frequency, prophylactic replacement of critical components, targeted corrosion control, and detailed examination of structures like control cable turnbuckles, often necessitating the removal of safety wire for proper inspection.
Owners and operators of aging aircraft should also consider gentle operational practices, avoiding high-stress activities, and storing aircraft in hangars to further prevent wear and environmental damage.

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The event perhaps most demonstrative of what can happen as an aircraft ages occurred on April 28, 1988, over Hawaii. That’s when an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737-200 operating in scheduled passenger service as Flight 243 between Hilo and Honolulu lost part of its cabin roof while in cruise at FL240. The crew successfully landed the airplane after diverting to Maui. Of the 89 passengers and six crewmembers aboard, there was one fatality—a flight attendant who was swept overboard during the decompression event.

Seven passengers and another flight attendant sustained serious injuries. The photo below, taken shortly after the 737 landed in Maui, shows the damage to the airplane and the passengers’ exposure. According to the NTSB, “Approximately 18 feet from the cabin skin and structure aft of the cabin entrance door and above the passenger floor line separated from the airplane during flight.”