2 Delta workers killed at ATL after tire explosion 8/27/24

[pfarber]

As an airport firefighter, exploding aircraft tires are one of the many hazards we are specifically trained for, or at least trained to avoid.

If you have never seen this video before, it shows the hazards very well. The background, this is a certification test for the Airbus A340 when it was new. Manufacturers are required to do this torture test as part of the certification of air carrier aircraft. It is meant to represent the worst case scenario of an aborted takeoff. The aircraft is outfitted with worn out brakes (and tires too if I recall), loaded to maximum takeoff weight, then accelerated to V1, or takeoff abort speed. They must then bring the aircraft to a stop using only the brakes, no reversers. After that the aircraft must taxi a certain distance under its own power and stop again. To pass the test, the aircraft must not catch fire or be damaged, and not need firefighting measures for so many minutes. The fusible plugs may blow and tires deflate, but that is about it.

This is an example of a fail, and why this is usually the last test performed during the certification testing. We always show this to our firefighters in training to show them exactly what they may face.

That's a brake fire, and while the tire did explode, its not the same as having the split rim separate. I think putting water on the hot wheel (magnesium?) may have made things worse.

Brakes and tires suck. Hydraulic fluid is flammable, tires with worn tread due to wear, split rim bolt and wheels damaged due to landings... its amazing that they don't explode more often.

We have a specific inspection checks for missing tie bolts, cracked/damage wheel spokes, hydraulic leaks etc. I know of two AMTs at my shop that were written up for signing off a wheel on a line check that pilots wrote up for brakes on thier pre-flight.

Due to this incident the stores folks have been told to report any tire/AMT that is returned with a schrader valve core still in the stem. The job card says to deflate the tire, but not to remove the valve core... I might have to submit a Safety TOCR for that.

 

[Doc Holliday]

As for 'fire loops' they do not detect fire. They are temperature sensors.

Fire = Increase temperature.

Your wacky idea that hot brakes are gonna blow up tires in a wheel well is uninformed as usual.

Lack of reading comprehension (again). A hot brake in an enclosed wheel well with a pressurized tire could cause an explosion, hence the manufacturer puts a fire loop inside the wheel well to give a cockpit indication when this starts to happen. Lowering the gear at the onset of a Wheel Well Overheat is one method of controlling this. The tire fuse plug is also there as another way to relieve tire pressure in the event of (a) fire, or (b) brake overheat. A pressurized tire exposed to heat (without fuse plugs) will indeed explode.

We use the exact same loops to detect bleed air (HOT engine air) for anti-ice in the wings. Are you also going to say that there is fire being piped from the engines to melt LE ice? HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA I bet you do.

I'm not even sure how you are deriving this from what I've written.

There are at least two other things that will alarm before this mythical exploding tire enters the wheel well... first, the brake temp sensor is gonna give a warning, second the anti skid is gonna complain because if a brake is dragging it WILL trigger the anti-skid system and on top of that you will have a tire pressure monitor (ok, not all jets have this) and as previously noted the wheel fuse plug.

You are assuming all jets have a brake temperature warning system, which isn't true. Second, you are associating a dragging brake as the cause of a hot brake. Hot brakes can also happen by riding the brakes during taxi, or even during a quick turn when the crew land, apply heavy braking then taxi back out (and riding the brakes on taxi) could result in hot brakes going into the wheel well.

Maybe you need to take a GENFAM class or at least read your own cited sources?

I've read my sources, in great detail. Again it boils down to comprehension skills. Where's yours?

Correcting you is becoming a full time job and honestly the pay isn't worth it.

So far you haven't "corrected" anyone on this forum.

For the third time: BE LESS WRONG.

How about for you "WORK ON READING COMPREHENSION".

As for tire cages, they are not a thing in stores or on the line. Back end shops yes.

No one has disputed this.

 

[flyingron]

I was in flight on an airliner once and all of a sudden there's this incredible noise and vibration. My wife looks at me in confusion and I shrug. It stops. After a minute the captain explains that they were cooling the brakes by lowering the gear and they were going to do it again.

 

[Larry in TN]

I was in flight on an airliner once and all of a sudden there's this incredible noise and vibration. My wife looks at me in confusion and I shrug. It stops. After a minute the captain explains that they were cooling the brakes by lowering the gear and they were going to do it again.

Airbus?

 

[flyingron]

Airbus?

Probably. It then called the pilot names after landing.