Insights into the “tire explosion” incident at Delta TechOps

ATLANTA – A federal investigation is underway following a fatal incident at Delta TechOps’ wheel and brake shop that left two workers dead.

Delta did not provide an update Wednesday, but on Tuesday the company told 11Alive that the incident involved wheel components being removed for maintenance. An Atlanta Fire Rescue dispatch report said crews responded to a “tire explosion.”

John Goglia, former member of the National Transportation Safety Board and former aircraft mechanic, provided some insight into how this tragedy could have occurred.

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Goglia said that when a tire blows out, it is usually not the tire itself, but the rim. Often, parts of the rim are missing during delivery because they are cracked and broken off.

“The tire is still intact, but it has lost air. In this case, it looks like a bunch of shrapnel came off that tire,” Goglia explained. “And if that's the case, they were traveling at quite a bit of speed when the tire broke apart.”

The incident, which left two people dead and another injured, occurred at Delta TechOps around 5 a.m. Tuesday. Goglia believes it could only have happened one of two ways: Either proper procedures were not followed or the tire had weakened and cracked from repeated landings and burst. Goglia said the latter is a “very rare incident.”

“So it’s more likely that procedures were not followed and a very catastrophic event occurred,” Goglia said.

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According to Delta TechOps' website, maintenance, repairs and overhaul work is being carried out on the aircraft. A source familiar with the investigation told 11Alive the accident was caused by several factors, including a malfunction in the wheel components.

“With at least 200 pounds of nitrogen in that tire, any breakage of the wheel halves will cause it to disintegrate and shatter quickly,” Goglia said. “That means small pieces are flying through the air at pretty high speeds, and that's usually the cause of most injuries.”

Goglia described airline maintenance as a “risky business.”

“The people who write workers' compensation once told me that this is one of the riskiest jobs they insure,” Goglia said. “There are a lot of injuries, but not like this one, but from falls from heights and trapped hands. There are fatalities, but not in large numbers.”

Delta said the company is cooperating with authorities and conducting a full investigation to find out what happened.

“It’s a real tragedy,” Goglia said.