Plane Pressure Dropped Before Roof Tore Open

A Boeing 727 forced to land after a 14-inch hole opened in its fuselage had problems maintaining cabin pressure during the flight even before the roof ripped open, federal officials said Tuesday.

The crew of Eastern Airlines Flight 251 told investigators they began having trouble shortly after takeoff Monday from Rochester, N.Y., en route to Atlanta, said National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz.

“By the time they reached 31,000 feet, they were able to stabilize the pressure,” Lopatkiewicz said. “They sent the second officer back to check the doors to listen for problems. Sometime when there’s a problem with the door seals, you can usually hear it, but he didn’t hear anything.

“Shortly after he returned, there was the rapid depressurization.”

Treated for Nosebleeds

The plane, with 104 passengers and six crew members, landed at Charleston’s Yeager Airport after the roof tore open at 31,000 feet. Two passengers were treated at a hospital for nosebleeds and headaches caused by the sudden loss of pressure.

As federal investigators began the months-long job of pinpointing the cause of the incident, they also said Tuesday that records for the last five years show the plane had made seven unscheduled landings before this week, but none could be called an emergency landing.