Pop Top Aircraft Skin Fatigue

In 2011, an American Airlines Boeing 757 returned to Miami, Floridia after experiencing an inflight depressurization. Investigation by the NTSB found that a skin panel on top of the aircraft cracked and flapped causing the depressurization. This type of failure is colloquially referred to as a pop top. This presentation will detail the examination of the skin crack and further estimate the time required to propagate the crack.