Due Diligence

The in-flight depressurization of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 over Arizona earlier this month prompted the Air Force to inspect its C-40B executive transports assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, Md. The inspectors found these aircraft, based on the 737, to be in excellent condition, reported CNN. The C-40Bs are significantly newer than the 737-300 model involved in the Southwest incident, according to CNN. Stress fatigue from repeated pressurization caused a 737’s fuselage joint to fail, tearing a five-foot gap in the aircraft’s skin and necessitating an emergency landing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona on April 1.