What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft with four containers of cargo departed Houston airport (kshv) enroute to Mexico airport (mmqt).
Just outside of Houston, Texas the aircraft encountered a storm cell along with a brief moment of turbulance. The turbulance caused cargo stored in the #3 compartment of the aircraft to slam into the crown area of the fuselage damaging interior panels. After flying two additional sorties, the aircraft landed back at its home base san marcos, Texas. It was then discovered by maintenance crew at berry aviation there had been structural damage to four interior fuselage ribs.
Further investigation revealed two causal factors in the aircraft flying with structual damage. First, the crew
Failed to secure the cargo in the aircraft. No straps or netting were used to tie down the cargo, instead the crew relied only on compartment side netting. Second, despite reporting the visable damage to company maintenance control, the crew failed to document the visable damage to the aircraft upon completion of the sortie in which the aircraft was damaged. Instead the crew waited until landing the next day after two sorties were flown.
Other issues noted were the crew failed to file an incident and hazard deficiency report documenting the interior damage sustained to the aircraft. Investigation shows the crew failed to follow company procedures as outlined in the company general operating manual. It is the recommendation of the iic that the crew be administered remedial training to include areas in cargo restraint policies and procedures as well as maintenance reporting requirements.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WITH FOUR CONTAINERS OF CARGO DEPARTED HOUSTON AIRPORT (KSHV) ENROUTE TO MEXICO AIRPORT (MMQT).
JUST OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON, TEXAS THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A STORM CELL ALONG WITH A BRIEF MOMENT OF TURBULANCE. THE TURBULANCE CAUSED CARGO STORED IN THE #3 COMPARTMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO SLAM INTO THE CROWN AREA OF THE FUSELAGE DAMAGING INTERIOR PANELS. AFTER FLYING TWO ADDITIONAL SORTIES, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED BACK AT ITS HOME BASE SAN MARCOS, TEXAS. IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED BY MAINTENANCE CREW AT BERRY AVIATION THERE HAD BEEN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO FOUR INTERIOR FUSELAGE RIBS.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED TWO CAUSAL FACTORS IN THE AIRCRAFT FLYING WITH STRUCTUAL DAMAGE. FIRST, THE CREW
FAILED TO SECURE THE CARGO IN THE AIRCRAFT. NO STRAPS OR NETTING WERE USED TO TIE DOWN THE CARGO, INSTEAD THE CREW RELIED ONLY ON COMPARTMENT SIDE NETTING. SECOND, DESPITE REPORTING THE VISABLE DAMAGE TO COMPANY MAINTENANCE CONTROL, THE CREW FAILED TO DOCUMENT THE VISABLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT UPON COMPLETION OF THE SORTIE IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED. INSTEAD THE CREW WAITED UNTIL LANDING THE NEXT DAY AFTER TWO SORTIES WERE FLOWN.
OTHER ISSUES NOTED WERE THE CREW FAILED TO FILE AN INCIDENT AND HAZARD DEFICIENCY REPORT DOCUMENTING THE INTERIOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATION SHOWS THE CREW FAILED TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCEDURES AS OUTLINED IN THE COMPANY GENERAL OPERATING MANUAL. IT IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE IIC THAT THE CREW BE ADMINISTERED REMEDIAL TRAINING TO INCLUDE AREAS IN CARGO RESTRAINT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
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 N233SW · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.