FAO Scy11a, Crazyscot

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Risks Digest 24.93
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:24:51 -0600
From: Peter G Neumann <neumann@csl.sri.com>
Subject: Nitrogen Used To Fill Aircraft Oxygen Systems

Airlines all over the world are being warned to check to make sure
there's actually oxygen in their aircraft oxygen systems after an
embarrassing mix-up by Qantas Airlines at Melbourne International
Airport. For ten months, crews have been filling airliner oxygen
systems from a nitrogen cart that's supposed to be used to fill
tires. The mistake went unnoticed until a couple of weeks ago when
an observant aircraft engineer spotted service workers using the
cart. "He was walking around the plane and asked what they were
doing. When they said they were topping up the oxygen, he said, 'No
you're not, that's a nitrogen cart,'" an unnamed source told *The
Age*. As anyone who works with industrial gases knows, oxygen tanks
have different fittings than other gases to prevent exactly this
kind of mix-up. However, when the crews discovered the fittings on
what they thought was their new oxygen cart didn't fit, they swapped
them for the ones on the old cart they were retiring. Of course,
Australian officials are looking into the error and Qantas has been
busy notifying other airlines that use its services in Melbourne.
Hundreds of aircraft may be affected.
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NitrogenUsedToFillAircraftOxygenSystems_196776-1.html

See also:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/probe-after-qantas-pumps-wrong-gas-into-jets/2007/12/15/1197568332267.html