20070518014589A

(-23) On may 18, 2007, at 1320 EST, a northwest airlines, DC-9-31, flight 1411, N1799U experienced a cabin pressurization problem during climb after departing from syracuse hancock international airport, syracuse, NY (syr) to detroit, MI. According to the FAA certificate management office for northwest airlines the airplane was climbing through 19,000 feet MSL after departure from syr when the flight crew heard a "loud pop" and the cabin depressurized. The flight crew initiated an emergency descent to 10,000 feet. After reaching 10,000 feet the flight crew diverted into the Buffalo-Niagara international airport, Buffalo, NY (buf). After the aircraft landed it was inspected by the ARFF, it was released to continued taxi to the gate. The post flight inspection revealed a 12 inch by 5 inch fuselage skin tear, forward of the forward cargo door. Upon further inspection a crease in the skin of the fuselage forward of the tear indicating the skin being damaged by a foreign object. Company maintenance flew into buf and put a temporary repair on the fuselage skin in order to ferry to a maintenance facility for a permanent repair. A telephone conversation with the syr nothwest airlines station manager (sm) revealed the following: on may 18, 2007, the sm stated that he was in a meeting when he heard about flight 1411 diverting into buf due to a pressurization problem around 1 pm. He then proceeded to contact the contract ramp personnel who worked the flight. There were two, one a tug driver and another that assisted. The belt loader was parked by the forward cargo bin and upon the completion of on loading passenger bags they tried to start the belt loader, but it died. In order to move the belt loader one of the ramp personnel got the tug and positioned the tug between the aircraft and the belt loader. The driver was able to get the belt loader out of the way for the aircraft to depart. The driver of the tug told the sm he had no idea about a skin tear. The sm said he inspected the tug, and discovered that "the paint on the roof of the tug matched the paint of the aircraft where the skin tear occurred." He brought this to the attention of the tug driver and the other ramp person, but they both denied any sort of damage or seeing a tear of the fuselage skin. The sm contacted teh air Wisconsin manager (ramp contractor) to inform him about the ground incident with two of his employees. They were both removed immediately from their duties, and after further investigation fired from air Wisconsin. The aircraft skin tear was repaired within a few days and the aircraft returned back to service.