Just plain stupid maintainers who took a shortcut if the article is accurate:

(emphasis mine)

https://www.foxbusiness.com/li...maintenance-facility

quote:

2 Delta workers killed, third person injured at Georgia maintenance facility

Two Delta Air Lines workers were killed and another person was injured at a Delta maintenance facility in Georgia early Tuesday morning, the company said.

The incident happened at a Delta TechOps maintenance facility near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Few official details about the fatal incident were immediately available, though sources told FOX 5 Atlanta that a tire exploded while it was being removed from a plane. No update on the injured person was immediately provided.

John Laughter, chief of operations and president at Delta TechOps, confirmed in a statement that the incident happened at the facility's wheel and brake shop.

"I’m deeply saddened to share that three TechOps team members were involved in an accident that took place early this morning in Atlanta TOC 3, Dept. 391 - Wheel & Brake Shop. Tragically, two of our team members involved passed away and one other team member was seriously injured," Laughter said. "We are extending our full support to their families at this difficult time and conducting an investigation to determine what happened."

Delta said in a separate statement that the airline was working with local authorities to conduct a full investigation to determine how the incident happened.

"The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility (TOC 3)," the statement said, in part. "We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time."

Atlanta Mayor Andrew Dickens offered condolences to the families of the Delta workers and confirmed that investigative teams are continuing to work at the scene.

"I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees," Dickens wrote on social media. "My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their swift and full recovery."

**Title updated to reflect more accurate tire pressure which aircraft tires are inflated to.**

3,000 PSI? Is that true? The nitrogen tanks are pressurized at 3,000, but aren't the tires only around 200?

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
3,000 PSI? Is that true? The nitrogen tanks are pressurized at 3,000, but aren't the tires only around 200?

No to 3000, Yes, aircraft tires are normally around 200-212.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
3,000 PSI? Is that true?

Navy and USAF aircraft - to include passenger aircraft, yes no. (faulty memory between the bottles and the tire.

When removing, the tire is deflated before removing the axle nut then a deflater tag is added.

When installing, deflater tag is removed, tire installed, axle nut installed, torqued and safety wired, THEN inflated AND, mechs are not perpendicular to the the wheel assembly (you position yourself fore or aft of the assembly).

Wheels are split rim and 99.99% sure the Delta aircraft - all platforms - are of similar design.

So the [outer] rim blew off the hub & struck the worker(s)?

Also, Laughter is a bit of an unfortunate last name to be giving out this type of news.

Nothing in the link, or several others indicate 3000 psi in the tire, only that it exploded while being removed. All articles state the investigation is underway.


https://x.com/ABCNewsLive/status/1828481147883397413

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

So the [outer] rim blew off the hub & struck the worker(s)?

Also, Laughter is a bit of an unfortunate last name to be giving out this type of news.

As a prior Navy Safety Investigator for maintenance, that would be my initial guess.

They jacked the wheel off the ground and loosened or removed the axle nut. Unlikely they never knew what hit them.

Not sure how them things are constructed, so maybe dumb question: why would the wheel blow apart just from loosening the axle nut?

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Nothing in the link, or several others indicate 3000 psi in the tire, only that it exploded while being removed. All articles state the investigation is underway.


https://x.com/ABCNewsLive/status/1828481147883397413

[FLASH_VIDEO]...[/FLASH_VIDEO]

After listening to the onsite reporter, sounds like either the cage failed when they were inflating the tire (wheel assembly in put together, then installed into the cage for inflation, then deflated prior to removal from the cage) or the maintenance persons removed the inflated tire from the cage or inflated it outside of the cage/off the aircraft

Unless Delta and/or the aircraft manufacturers do it differently, for some strange reason even truckers do not inflate a split rim when not installed or in a cage, the tire assembly should not be inflated outside of the cage or when not installed on an aircraft.

In my previous life we always used a cage. Eliminate any possibility of flying wheel pieces, brake stators, and rotors where you can.

The article states that sources told Fox 5 that the tire exploded while being removed from the aircraft…. but it also states that the Chief of Ops confirmed that it happened at the wheel and brake shop. That is 2 different groups of mechanics. The shop mechanics are not the ones who change tires on the plane. It’s usually the line mechanics that remove it, deflate it and route it to the shop. The shop mechanics are supposed to verify it’s deflated and then remove the rim bolts to replace the tire.
Sounds like safety was overlooked by both groups.

quote:

Originally posted by bordeth:
In my previous life we always used a cage. Eliminate any possibility of flying wheel pieces, brake stators, and rotors where you can.

Yup - kind of like a bomb ready to go off.

hell, I didn't like inflating an installed tire because even the "safety zone" had some risk if the tire assy failed.

3000 PSI is a common pressure for various hydraulic systems in aircraft. Could be where the confusion came from.

According to an article in the local AJC, the wheel was not on the aircraft.

"...Few details were released, but it involved components of an aircraft wheel that was in the shop and not attached to a plane, according to Delta."

quote:

Originally posted by ace73:
The article states that sources told Fox 5 that the tire exploded while being removed from the aircraft…. but it also states that the Chief of Ops confirmed that it happened at the wheel and brake shop. That is 2 different groups of mechanics. The shop mechanics are not the ones who change tires on the plane. It’s usually the line mechanics that remove it, deflate it and route it to the shop. The shop mechanics are supposed to verify it’s deflated and then remove the rim bolts to replace the tire.
Sounds like safety was overlooked by both groups.

Yep.

In the USAF, we routinely removed and reinstalled tires inflated for brake or other maintenance.

But any wheel/tire assembly removed for "replacement" had the valve stem core removed with a tool that screws onto the valve stem, and has two holes in the body of the tube to facilitate deflation and contains the valve core.

We typically jacked the aircraft gear in question by the strut. (there is a often a jack pad that stows or a place for a jackpad to be temp installed) Once the tire is off the ground, the valve tool is installed and a "thumb screw" is used to remove the core from the stem, and the tire deflates. The wheel/tire assembly is typically removed while the pressure is relieved.

Once the pressure has bled off, the valve core tool is removed and the valve core is then "safety wired" to the valve stem and the cap is installed.

A "service/repair" tag is also attached to the wheel/tire assembly nd it is routed to the wheel/tire shop. (Part of A/R or Aero Repair aka Reclamation & Recovery shop)

Once the shop gets the wheel/tire assembly, it is inspected for tag and valve core. The cap is removed, and checked for valve core removal. (we used a "T" handle that had about a 1 inch hilt and 4 inch rod and the handle inserting until it touched the hilt, to verify the core was removed.)

If a wheel/tire assembly came in and the tag and or valve core were not affixed, or if a valve care was not removed, even though the tire was deflated, it was a "write up" and reported/elevated to Job Control, Quality Assurance.

wheel/tire assemblies were put in a "cage" and inflated to 195-250 lbs depending on the tires (aircraft model) and then placed in a (red) "tire rack" in the hanger for 24 hrs leak check (crayon pressure/date/time). Once passed, moved to "ready rack".

Whomever removed the tire and whomever "accepted" the tire at the shop were equally 100% responsible for the failure.

I wore all those "hats" during my career.

I was and still am an asshole about safety.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

quote:

Originally posted by ace73:
The article states that sources told Fox 5 that the tire exploded while being removed from the aircraft…. but it also states that the Chief of Ops confirmed that it happened at the wheel and brake shop. That is 2 different groups of mechanics. The shop mechanics are not the ones who change tires on the plane. It’s usually the line mechanics that remove it, deflate it and route it to the shop. The shop mechanics are supposed to verify it’s deflated and then remove the rim bolts to replace the tire.
Sounds like safety was overlooked by both groups.

Yep.

In the USAF, we routinely removed and reinstalled tires inflated for brake or other maintenance.

...

I was and still am an asshole about safety.

Wait, what?

You mean you bled off the pressure to about 10-15 psi (deflated without removing the core), not a fully pressurized wheel assembly, right?

I have zero experience with aircraft tires but I do have plenty with split ring rims from the Army. When I first got in the Army they told me to sit in the wheel with the ring down to inflate, that way I wouldn't lose my head but would just be launched in to space. Later on they mandated a cage for inflation, only saw one accident, dude lost all of the fingers on one hand because he put his hand in the cage

Sincerely, would someone explain the danger of 'split rim' vs the rim that is on the tires on my car.

I remember back in the 70s at a local tire shop a guy got killed inflating a truck tire laying horizontal out of a cage. It was said that it blew him up to the rafters. After that I had a respect for inflating any kind of tire and tried to stand to the side.

quote:

Originally posted by alreadydead:
Sincerely, would someone explain the danger of 'split rim' vs the rim that is on the tires on my car.

A split rim is two pieces which are bolted together. When the tire is inflated, if the bolts fail, the wheel separates - explosively.

Typically bolt failure is a chain reaction. one bolt fails which then, in near instantaneous sequence, they all "let go."