WORLD : Wrong Bolts Cited in Air Mishap
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LONDON — The use of improper bolts probably caused a cockpit windshield to blow out of a British Airways plane at 23,000 feet during the weekend, almost sucking the pilot out of the aircraft, officials said today.
“Investigators have determined that of the 90 bolts used to retain the windscreen, 84 were of an incorrect size for the captive nuts into which they were installed,” a Civil Aviation Authority official said. “This explains the windscreen’s blowing out when exposed to the cabin pressure during the climb.”
Officials reported the incorrect bolts were 1.5 inches in diameter, 1/32 of an inch smaller than they should have been.
British Airways said it has suspended the engineer responsible for fitting the bolts, pending completion of the inquiry by government investigators.
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