# Concern after Nimrod 'teapot fix' (BBC News)



## Yrys (4 Dec 2006)

A hatch is a door, isn't it? So, how come a teapot block a hatch gap?
Wouldn't the hatch or the teapot crash due to airpressure?

/puzzled

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6206738.stm

Safety concerns have been raised since the Afghanistan crash
New claims about the safety of Nimrod aircraft based at RAF Kinloss 
are to be raised in the House of Commons.

It has emerged that the crew of a Nimrod used a teapot to block a hatch gap in 
their plane after a mid-air mechanical fault.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman said safety had not been compromised.

Moray MP and Scottish National Party defence spokesman Angus Robertson told BBC
 Scotland he wanted reassurances about the safety of the fleet.

There have been concerns about safety since 12 RAF Kinloss personnel, a Royal Marine
 and a soldier died when a Nimrod crashed on 2 September in Afghanistan after a suspected technical fault.

This new wave of revelations is not going to instil the crews or families with confidence

In the latest incident, the Nimrod was on an operational flight from Cornwall to Kinloss.

An RAF Kinloss spokeswoman said there was a malfunction with a hatch from which sonar
 buoys are thrown during search and rescue missions.

The spokeswoman said: "There was a minor malfunction with the hatch cover and the 
teapot would have been used to make it more comfortable for the crew.

"At no time was air crew safety compromised."

Mr Robertson said: "Family members of service personnel who died have had concerns 
about maintenance and safety.

"This new wave of revelations is not going to instil the crews or families with confidence.

"I really hope the MoD will be doing everything possible so that there are no repetitions 
of these technical problems and maintain safety."

The MoD has promised that concerns about the safety of the RAF Nimrod fleet would 
be fully investigated following the September crash.


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## aesop081 (4 Dec 2006)

Yrys said:
			
		

> A hatch is a door, isn't it? So, how come a teapot block a hatch gap?
> Wouldn't the hatch or the teapot crash due to airpressure?



Here's me pointing you back towards your lane.........


Sonobouy launch tubes are only a few inches around.  Theres a door at the bottom of them that allows the sonobouy to leave the aircraft. There is also a breach door at the top of the tube inside the aircraft cabin. This allows the aircraft to be pressurized when launching sonobouys from the internal stores. There might have been a malfunction with either of these doors and the crew used a tea pot to block the opening.  Another possiblity is the freefall chute.  Its basicaly a round pipe sticking through the floor of the cabin leading to outside the aircraft.  This allows for unpressurized stores drop.  There is a round hatch at the top of this tube about 7 inches around which closes the opening.  The aircraft must be unpressurized for the hatch to be open.  To repressurize, the door must be closed.  During normal operation where we drop sonobouys, smoke markers and flares from the freefall chute we insert a liner that extends the lenghts of the tube and narrows down the diameter of the opening.  Often, rather than removing the liner to close the chute in order to repressurize the aircraft ( if we know we will have to depressurize and use the chute often) the liner is left in place and the opening "capped" with a suitable object. I am speculating of course but my experience tells me......

Obviously the british media behaves like ours.........

edit :i re-read the article, i was not speculating...i know exactly what they were doing.


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## aesop081 (9 Dec 2006)

Ok...just because a picture is worth a thousand words.....

top pictute is of the internal launch tubes with the GP chute with lid closed 
Second picture is of the GP chute itself, open
Third picture is the GP chute liner that gets inserted to drop stores from the aircraft's internal storage when depressurized

Should be noted that when the liner is inserted...the GP chute lid cannot be closed.  When it is closed it is not latched down.  Pressurization holds it closed.


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## Yrys (9 Dec 2006)

Thanks


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## cobbler (9 Dec 2006)

> This new wave of revelations is not going to instil the crews or families with confidence.



 :  Don't you just _love_ the media

I'm sure the crews are much more familiar with thier aircraft than any journalist. And hopefully the families trust thier loved-ones more than the BBC of all people (hopefully they trist anybody more than the BBC actually).


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## Colin Parkinson (14 Dec 2006)

You have to admit, a teapot is a very "English" solution to the problem


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## aesop081 (14 Dec 2006)

Colin P said:
			
		

> You have to admit, a teapot is a very "English" solution to the problem



I have used the top lid of a 100-cup coffee maker.....

Just allows you to pressurise the aircraft so that you can be more comfortable temperature-wise, cut down on the noise and fly above 10k feet....No flight safety there.


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## SideshowBomber (29 Dec 2006)

Don't forget the vacuum too!  The only thing the GP chute is missing is the 'old school' Lockheed Martin motifs that the ashtray lids have.


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