In addition, Southwest Airlines, said that inspections underground cracks in the bodies of two other Boeing 737 jetliner similar to those on this flight had discovered.
"Based on this incident and the additional evidence, we expect more action by Boeing and the F.A.A. for the 737-300 fleet operators around the world," Mike van de Ven, Southwest's executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement on Sunday evening.
The airline said it has again tested and cleared 19 other levels, and planned to stop more of Tuesday tests 58. Southwest had about 300 flights daily on Saturday and Sunday after the problem on Friday canceled.
Robert L. Sumwalt, Member of the Board, said in a telephone interview from Arizona, that which would have the fatigue to a Visual inspection the lap joints in the body of flight of Sacramento, and not high-tech techniques such as ultrasound was required rules that might have detected the hidden cracks.
A fuselage section is a more comprehensive metallurgical investigation will be flown to the Board laboratories in Washington.
In accordance with Federal Aviation Administration cracks the airline identifies records and fixed 21 in the fuselage of the plane during a scheduled review, which lasted more than a week 11 months ago. Outside airline maintenance experts say not such fatigue cracks in older jets are rare.
Southwest Airlines has a history of the maintenance problems. 2008 The F.A.A. proposed a 10.2 million US-dollar punishment, later to 7.5 million $ for Southwest's manages non-compulsory checks for fuselage fatigue cracking on some 737 s reduced its Boeing.
A report agreed complaint that a F.A.A. supervisors had been too cozy with Southwest that year by the Chief of staff of the Transport Department with a whistle blower. The report found "serious lapses in F.A.A.'s air carrier oversight."
The Southwest level involved in the incident on Friday, a 15-year old Boeing 737-300 118 passengers, was almost 35,000 feet when passengers a gunshotlike explosion and the sight of a gaping hole in the ceiling of the cabin were shocked the behind the left wing. Some people reported feeling of dizziness, a rapid loss of cabin pressure occurs. Oxygen masks were released and at least two people is passed as the pilot the aircraft resulted in a forced landing on Yuma Marine Corps air station in Arizona. No one was seriously injured.
Mr Sumwalt, a former pilot, the hole - said through which sunlight was visible - was about two meters from the left wing on the upper part of the hull. An inspection found hairline cracks from each of niet holes in the joints on the roof.
"We have clear evidence, that the skin along the line of rivet separated," he said. "The initial inspection on the ground shows fatigue along the entire break area."
He said that the cracks in the Underskin of common were - where two sections overlap the 737 skin and riveted together. He said that federal regulations more demanding inspections of joints was unnecessary. But the Board can be found at the F.A.A., is the inspections must be.
To the question about the new find Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the F.A.A. in accordance with a previous statement, which said, "the F.A.A. work closely is the N.T.S.B., Southwest Airlines and Boeing, to determine"", which actions may be required."
The detailed examination for the airline of the level in March 2010 showed 10 cracks in parts of the frame and 11 cracks in the "Stringer clips", which help to secure the aircraft depending on the difficulty service reports on the F.A.A skin-site lists.
You have fixed all that said reports. At that time, the aircraft had 45,944 flight hours.
Total 288 fly Boeing 737-300 for airlines in the United States and 931 worldwide, depending on the Southwest F.A.A. said the 737-300 were the oldest aircraft in its fleet. Boeing, said in a statement that it no reason fleet-wide action, which had seen the aircraft. The company said it was all his in-service aircraft monitoring and help Southwest and the N.T.S.B.
Douglas Clark, an aircraft maintenance specialist with expert aviation consulting, an Indianapolis business not in the investigation involved said, "It it not is amazing more open ribs." Metal fatigue, he said "something was, which has plagued the industry for years."
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