What happened with the Byford Dolphin accident?

What happened with the Byford Dolphin accident?

With the escaping air and pressure, it included bisection of his thoracoabdominal cavity, which resulted in fragmentation of his body, followed by expulsion of all of the internal organs of his chest and abdomen, except the trachea and a section of small intestine, and of the thoracic spine.

Has anyone ever died of explosive decompression?

Implications for aircraft design However, decompression events have nevertheless proved fatal for aircraft in other ways. In 1974, explosive decompression onboard Turkish Airlines Flight 981 caused the floor to collapse, severing vital flight control cables in the process.

How deep was the Byford Dolphin incident?

Weighing 3000 tons and manned by a crew of 100, it was capable of drilling in waters up to 460 meters in depth. To allow construction and maintenance of the wellhead at these depths, the rig was equipped with a sophisticated Saturation Diving system built by French firm COMEX.

Did anyone survive the Byford Dolphin?

The sole survivor, Martin Saunders was left with devastating injuries. When the crew’s diving chamber explosively decompressed from a pressure of nine atmospheres to one atmosphere, the five men were killed instantly, with their blood reaching boiling point in a matter of seconds.

Where is the Byford Dolphin now?

The current position of BYFORD DOLPHIN is in North Sea with coordinates 58.11460° / 7.04561° as reported on 2019-01-12 14:03 by AIS to our vessel tracker app. The vessel’s current speed is 0.1 Knots and is currently inside the port of LYNGDAL.

What causes explosive decompression?

Explosive decompression happens when something causes the cabin to rapidly lose its pressure. This may be because of a failure in the structure of the plane or a collision with an external object. Air is constantly trying to push out of this high-pressure environment into the lower pressure of the exterior.

Can you survive rapid decompression?

Passengers of commercial aircraft which go through rapid decompression usually survive with no adverse long term health effects. Even with a huge hole in the side of the plane, everyone on Qantas flight 30 landed alive and safe. As the plane descends rapidly, the loss of pressure will likely cause your ears to pop.

How much money do saturation divers make?

Generally speaking, saturation divers can make up to $30,000 – $45,000 per month. Annually, this can add up to over $180,000. A unique salary addition for saturation divers is “depth pay,” which can pay out an additional $1- $4 per foot. We should note that depth pay is for air and mixed gas diving.

What body system does decompression sickness affect?

Type I decompression sickness tends to be mild and affects primarily the joints, skin, and lymphatic vessels. Type II decompression sickness, which may be life-threatening, often affects vital organ systems, including the brain and spinal cord, the respiratory system, and the circulatory system.

Has anyone exploded from decompression?

It is possible for a person to effectively ‘explode’ in the event of an explosive decompression, but only if the pressure differential is significant. A chilling example of this is the Byford Dolphin diving bell accident*, where divers were decompressed from 9 to 1 atmospheres.

What happens to a human body during decompression?

Decompression sickness is a disorder in which nitrogen dissolved in the blood and tissues by high pressure forms bubbles as pressure decreases. Symptoms can include fatigue and pain in muscles and joints.

What happens to human body sudden decompression?

Upon sudden decompression in vacuum, expansion of air in a person’s lungs is likely to cause lung rupture and death unless that air is immediately exhaled.

What happens if you decompress too quickly?

And if a diver rises to the surface (decompresses) at the right rate, the nitrogen can slowly and safely leave the body through the lungs. But if a diver rises too quickly, the nitrogen forms bubbles in the body. This can cause tissue and nerve damage.

How painful is decompression sickness?

The pain may be sharp or may be described as “deep” or “like something boring into bone.” It is worse when moving. Less common symptoms include itching, skin mottling, rash, swelling of the arm, chest, or abdomen, and extreme fatigue. These symptoms do not threaten life but may precede more dangerous problems.

Can a pilot decompress the cabin?

The answer depends on what kind of aircraft you’re talking about, and how much control the crew has over the pressurization systems. For example, in theory you could very well reduce or completely shut off the air to the cabin on a 777. This could also be done by a single crew member alone.