Aircraft Accident Reports - Air Canada McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 (CF-TLU), East of Boston, Massachusetts, September 17, 1979

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Aircraft Accident Reports - Air Canada McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 (CF-TLU), East of Boston, Massachusetts, September 17, 1979

At 1212 e.d.t., on September 17, 1979, Air Canada Flight 680, a scheduled passenger flight to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, departed Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts. About 14 min after takeoff, at an altitude of about 25,000 ft m.s.l., the tailcone along with the aft cabin pressure access door and a portion of the aft cabin pressure bulkhead separated from the aircraft causing rapid decompression of the passenger and flightcrew compartments. The aircraft was landed safely at Logan International Airport about 38 min after takeoff. Of the 45 persons aboard, one flight attendant received minor injuries during the decompression. The aircraft's oxygen system and its elevator control and engine control systems were damaged. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was a fatigue fracture of the aft cabin pressure bulkhead which resulted in a rapid decompression of the aircraft's cabin area. This fracture initiated from a crack below the aft bulkhead access door which was discernible on the X-rays taken during the aircraft's last maintenance inspection but was not detected by the inspectors.