2 Are Killed at Delta Maintenance Facility Near Atlanta Airport

[tommj]

https://apnews.com/article/delta-ex...anta-georgia-978d4a77652375968b7000c8dee0ca7f

I would have thought this would be during inflation bead seating while not in a cage, but the article says it was during disassembly. Are these split rims somebody attempted to separate while inflated?

 

[3DDave]

Not enough info widely available. OSHA is performing the investigation.

 

[JStephen]

With so little detail, hard to say what went on.
I found one video of mechanic speculating: 1) Rim damaged during landing or 2) Improper procedures followed. With his guess being the latter.
I have no idea how those mount up, whether it's a split rim arrangement or what.
When I heard about this, I remembered hearing about another fatality not long ago, I think it was this one:

https://www.nbc-2.com/article/tire-explosion-death-florida-san-carlos-park/61802235

 

[3DDave]

I believe there are truck tire sizes that differ by only 1/2 inch. If one that is too small is installed it will accept a large amount of pressure before escaping the rim. It appears to be the 16 vs. the 16.5 rims; a quarter inch on the radius.

The warning from a tire size chart is specific:

: Failure to properly match tire and rim/wheel sizes is dangerous. Mounting a smaller diameter tire on a larger
diameter rim/wheel (for example, mounting a 16 inch tire on a 16.5 inch rim/wheel) can result in breaking the tire bead during mounting or airing. The tire may then explode during inflation. The explosion can hurl the tire and wheel into the air striking you or a bystander. Be sure the diameter shown on the tire exactly matches the diameter stamped on the rim/wheel.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Don't mess with aircraft tyres and keep the hell away from them has been my personal method of dealing with the risk.

And to be honest I learned that with lorry tyres when I was 16 years old

 

[TugboatEng]

The 16 and 16.5 inch wheel issue was not related to the diameter, it was the bead profile that was different.

 

[3DDave]

What would really sell the difference is some diameter numbers for those profiles. Maybe it's online somewhere, but not interested in getting the SAE standards to find out.

I like how the 5º taper dimension is unattached from anything remotely that angle.

 

[TugboatEng]

I believe the selling point was that the 16.5 was easier to mount and dismount than the 16.