Large rivet holes found in jetliner

Tue., April 26, 2011

David Koenig And Joan Lowy Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Investigators say they found rivet holes that were too big and appear to be misshapen from wear in a Southwest Airlines jet that peeled open in flight earlier this month.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that its examination of a section of the Boeing 737’s fuselage skin adjacent to where a 5-foot hole tore open revealed rivet holes that were too wide for the rivets. The rivets hold overlapping sections of the plane’s skin together.

The board also said in a statement that some rivet holes were worn into irregular shapes instead of being round.

The board didn’t offer any conclusions based on the evidence. Its investigation is continuing.

The plane was at about 34,000 feet over Arizona with 118 people on board on April 1 when the hole opened. The pilot guided the plane to a safe emergency landing. There were no injuries.

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Large rivet holes found in jetliner

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