Aft pressure bulkhead - Mashpedia Real-time Encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012)

The aft end of the interior of NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The aft pressure bulkhead is the white circular component, and its web-like structure led a NASA technician with a sense of humor to add a large stuffed spider to the decor.

The aft pressure bulkhead or rear pressure bulkhead is a component of all large commercial aircraft. It is an airtight bulkhead located between the cabin and the tail of the aircraft. Its purpose is to seal the rear of the plane and thus maintain cabin pressure, and as such it is a vital part of the aircraft.

Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashed after a catastrophic failure of the aft pressure bulkhead. The failure occurred due to faulty repair of the bulkhead, when a double row of rivets was replaced by a much weaker single row. Failure of the bulkhead damaged hydraulic pipes passing through.

[edit] Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rear pressure bulkheads (aircraft fuselages)

A diagram of the aft pressure bulkhead of the Boeing 747 used on Japan Airlines Flight 123

Aviation portal

v t e Aircraft components and systems

Airframe structure	Cabane strut Canopy Dope Cruciform tail Empennage Fairing Fabric covering Flying wires Former Fuselage Interplane strut Hardpoint Horizontal stabilizer Jury strut Leading edge Lift strut Longeron Nacelle Rear pressure bulkhead Rib Spar Stabilizer Stressed skin Strut Tailplane Trailing edge T-tail Twin tail Vertical stabilizer V-tail Wingbox Wing root Wing tip

Flight controls	Aileron Airbrake Artificial feel Autopilot Canard Centre stick Deceleron Dive brake Elevator Elevon Electro-hydrostatic actuator Flaperon Flight control modes Fly-by-wire Gust lock Rudder Servo tab Side-stick Spoiler Spoileron Stabilator Stick pusher Stick shaker Trim tab Yaw damper Wing warping Yoke

Aerodynamic and high-lift devices	Active Aeroelastic Wing Adaptive Compliant Wing Blown flap Channel wing Dog-tooth Flap Gouge flap Gurney flap Krueger flaps Leading edge cuff LEX Slats Slot Stall strips Strake Variable-sweep wing Vortex generator Vortilon Wing fence Winglet

Avionic and flight instrument systems	ACAS Air data computer Airspeed indicator Altimeter Annunciator panel Attitude indicator Compass Course deviation indicator EFIS EICAS Flight data recorder Flight management system Glass cockpit GPS Heading indicator Horizontal situation indicator INS TCAS Transponder Turn and bank indicator Pitot-static system Radar altimeter Vertical Speed Indicator Yaw string

Propulsion controls, devices and fuel systems	Autothrottle Drop tank FADEC Fuel tank Gascolator Inlet cone Intake ramp NACA cowling Self-sealing fuel tank Splitter plate Throttle Thrust lever Thrust reversal Townend ring Wet wing

Landing and arresting gear	Autobrake Conventional landing gear Arrestor hook Drogue parachute Landing gear extender Oleo strut Tricycle gear Tundra tire Undercarriage

Escape systems	Ejection seat Escape crew capsule

Other systems	Aircraft lavatory Auxiliary power unit Bleed air system Deicing boot Emergency oxygen system Environmental Control System Hydraulic system Ice protection system Landing lights Navigation light Passenger service unit Ram air turbine Weeping wing

v t e Lists relating to aviation

General	Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Gliders Airlines defunct Airports Civil authorities Museums Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline

Military	Air forces Weapons Experimental Missiles Unmanned

Accidents/incidents	Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military

Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

This article about aircraft components is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.