THE FOURTH FLIGHT-test Boeing 777, returning from the Paris air show, suffered a pressurisation failure while en route from Washington DC to Seattle on 14 June. The incident was a less-serious recurrence of the loose duct-clamps, which caused pressurisation losses on two other 777s.
The aircraft had not been retrofitted with the solution developed for the duct/clamp problem, Boeing says. A check valve, which jammed open in the two previous, more serious incidents, remained closed resulting in only a slow leak.
The crew detected a slight cabin-pressure decrease shortly after reaching cruise altitude and made a precautionary descent from 35,000ft (10,700m) to 10,000ft. Passengers, who included US Transportation Secretary Federico Pena and the transport ministers of several Asia-Pacific countries, experienced no discomfort, Boeing says.
Source: Flight International
