What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 26, 2010, at approximately 2157 eastern daylight time (EDT) (UTC -4), N626AA, a Boeing B-757-223 operated by American airlines, inc., as American airlines flight 1640 (aa 1640) experienced a rapid decompression approximately 33 minutes after departure from Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida (mia). At the time of the decompression, the aircraft was at 31,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL). Oxygen masks were deployed. As a result of the loss of pressurization, the crew declared an emergency and returned to mia. The aircraft landed safely without further incident. The intended destination was the general edward lawrence logan international airport, boston, Massachusetts (bos). There were 154 passengers and 6 crewmembers on board. No injuries were reported. Night visual flight rule (VFR) conditions prevailed. Postflight inspection of the aircraft revealed a fuselage hull breach at a point just aft of the L1 (forward left-hand) cabin door, between the left hand upper lap joint and the crown. The hole is approximately (2) two feet long and (1) one foot wide, with rounded corners. The long axis of the hole was parallel to the centerline of the fuselage. The forward ¾ of the skin from the holed area remained attached to the aircraft along a stinger on the crown side of the hole. The rear ¼ of the skin from the area of the hole was missing. At the time of the event, N626AA had accumulated 63,009 hours of time in service, and 22,450 cycles. N626AA was delivered to American airlines in August 1990. At the time of the arrival at mia, weather conditions were reported as wind 110 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 1,900 and 25,000 feet, temperature 27ºc (81 ºf), dewpoint 24 ºc (75ºf), altimeter setting 30.01 in. Hg.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 26, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 2157 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT) (UTC -4), N626AA, A BOEING B-757-223 OPERATED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC., AS AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1640 (AA 1640) EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION APPROXIMATELY 33 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE FROM MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA (MIA). AT THE TIME OF THE DECOMPRESSION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 31,000 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). OXYGEN MASKS WERE DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT OF THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION, THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO MIA. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS THE GENERAL EDWARD LAWRENCE LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (BOS). THERE WERE 154 PASSENGERS AND 6 CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. NIGHT VISUAL FLIGHT RULE (VFR) CONDITIONS PREVAILED. POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A FUSELAGE HULL BREACH AT A POINT JUST AFT OF THE L1 (FORWARD LEFT-HAND) CABIN DOOR, BETWEEN THE LEFT HAND UPPER LAP JOINT AND THE CROWN. THE HOLE IS APPROXIMATELY (2) TWO FEET LONG AND (1) ONE FOOT WIDE, WITH ROUNDED CORNERS. THE LONG AXIS OF THE HOLE WAS PARALLEL TO THE CENTERLINE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FORWARD ¾ OF THE SKIN FROM THE HOLED AREA REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT ALONG A STINGER ON THE CROWN SIDE OF THE HOLE. THE REAR ¼ OF THE SKIN FROM THE AREA OF THE HOLE WAS MISSING. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, N626AA HAD ACCUMULATED 63,009 HOURS OF TIME IN SERVICE, AND 22,450 CYCLES. N626AA WAS DELIVERED TO AMERICAN AIRLINES IN AUGUST 1990. AT THE TIME OF THE ARRIVAL AT MIA, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AS WIND 110 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1,900 AND 25,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 27ºC (81 ºF), DEWPOINT 24 ºC (75ºF), ALTIMETER SETTING 30.01 IN. HG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N626AA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.