NWA’s DC-9 loses parts mid-air
I can’t believe Northwest Airlines still uses 40-year old Douglas DC-9’s. I did get a chance to fly on one of them this spring when I was visiting my parents down in Columbus, Ohio; I even got to have a brief chat with the pilots, who commanded the old bird on its strudiness, and were seemingly disappointed that they’re slated for replacement soon. However, it appears that the replacement is urgently necessary, as existing DC-9s are falling apart, literally:
Flap from Northwest plane found in Wisconsin backyard
McFARLAND, Wisconsin — A southeastern Wisconsin family found what appears to be a piece of an airplane in their backyard.
“I was coming out with the laundry basket to hang my laundry, and I noticed … a large, large piece of metal in my yard,” Judy St. Clair told WISC-TV in Madison. “I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness. That looks like an airplane wing.’ But I thought, ‘How can that be?’”
The two-foot-long chunk of metal tore through branches of the ash tree in her McFarland backyard.
…
WISC-TV confirmed with Northwest Airlines that after Flight 1449 from Detroit landed in Madison at 9:21 a.m. Wednesday, an inspection revealed that a missing inboard flap to fuselage fairing was missing. The DC-9’s return flight to Detroit was grounded.
The airline released a statement and said it was investigating.
“The approximate 2-foot-long piece used to reduce drag was not a flight safety issue,” airline spokesman Dean Breest said.
Northwest said it wants to make sure the part was from their plane before they comment further.
(full article available from the link above)
Kind of scary, huh? The article is both amusing and worrying. I bet most people don’t even realize how old those planes are.