News
01 NOV - Mandala Boeing 737 suffers nose gear collapse on landing 07 NOV - EASA reports on DHC-8-400 airworthiness review meeting
08 NOV - New FAA rule on aircraft wiring safety
09 NOV - All South African B737-200 planes grounded for emergency inspections
23 NOV - TSB issues final report on A310 loss of rudder incident
24 NOV - EU offers assistance to Indonesia for improvement of aviation safety
28 NOV - EU lifts restrictions on PIA and lifts ban on Blue Wing Airlines
30 NOV - South Africa suspends approval of Nationwide Aircraft Maintenance Organization
01 NOV 2007 Mandala Boeing 737 suffers nose gear collapse on landing [to table of contents]
A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 (PK-RIL) suffered a nose gear collapse on landing at Malang-Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (MLG), Indonesia. Flight RI-260 from Jakarta (CGK) came to rest at the end of the runway. Some five passengers were injured in the evacuation. (Kompas)
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) met with officials of the airworthiness authorities of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Canada as well as representatives of plane manufacturer Bombardier and component manufacturer Goodrich regarding an airworthiness review for the Bombardier Dash 8-400 aircraft. All participants concluded that the incident of an SAS Dash 8-400 on 27 October at Copenhagen was not due to a design error and that the airworthiness of the aircraft is maintained. The Agency understands that the Scandinavian airworthiness authorities will reissue the Certificates of Airworthiness relevant to this aircraft type in the coming days. The meeting also confirmed that the incidents with SAS aircraft on 9 September and 12 September were not related to the incident on 27 October. The Agency has already addressed these previous incidents with the remedial actions prescribed in its Airworthiness Directives issued on 13 September and 16 October. (EASA) 08 NOV 2007 New FAA rule on aircraft wiring safety [to table of contents]
The U.S. FAA finalized a new rule designed to mitigate conditions that put airliners at risk for wire failures, smoke and fire. The final rule greatly enhances the safety requirements for design, installation and maintenance of electrical wiring in new and existing airplane designs. It moves existing rules on wiring into a single section of the regulations, and adds new certification standards to address wire degradation and inadequate design or maintenance. Under the rule, manufacturers must complete FAA-approved instructions for new wiring-related maintenance and inspection tasks within 24 months of the effective date for existing airplanes. U.S. scheduled air carriers and foreign airlines operating U.S.-registered aircraft must develop maintenance and inspection programs for wiring based on the manufacturers` instructions within 39 months of the effective date, and update those programs as needed for subsequent aircraft modifications. This final rule is a result of recommendations made by industry groups working with the FAA and international authorities. The new maintenance requirements apply to aircraft carrying more than 30 passengers or having a maximum payload of 7,500 pounds or more. The estimated total cost of this final rule is $416 million ($233 million present value) over 25 years. The rule is part of a broader FAA effort to improve the safety of a variety of aircraft systems, including wiring. The program looked at how connectors, wiring harnesses and cables were installed and how they degraded during an aircraft`s service. (FAA)
press release
09 NOV 2007 All South African B737-200 planes grounded for emergency inspections [to table of contents] The South African CAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive applicable to all South African Boeing 737-200 series aircraft fitted with Pratt and Whitney JT8D series. The AD was issued in the wake of an accident in which the engine of a B737-200 separated on takeoff from Cape Town on November 7. All airplanes are grounded until the the operators have complied with the inspections detailed in the AD. (CAA S.A.)
RSA AD No 07-002 Revision 1`
23 NOV 2007 TSB issues final report on A310 loss of rudder incident [to table of contents] The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its final report into the Air Transat loss of rudder incident that occurred on 06 March 2005. The TSB investigation found that the A310 aircraft took off from Varadero, Cuba, most probably with pre-existing damage to the rudder. The separation of the rudder from the aircraft together with the findings of the investigation determined that inspection programs for this model of composite rudder are not adequate for the timely detection of defects. The consequences of a rudder separation include reduced directional control and possible separation of the vertical tail plane. (TSB)
TSB Report Number A05F0047
24 NOV 2007 EU offers assistance to Indonesia for improvement of aviation safety [to table of contents] The European Union (EU) on offered Indonesia assistance for acceleration of improvement of aviation safety in the country. The EU president Baroso told a joint press conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that the assistance could be in the form of technical requirement needed for aviation safety. (Xinhua) 28 NOV 2007 EU lifts restrictions on PIA and lifts ban on Blue Wing Airlines [to table of contents]
The European Commission adopted today the sixth update of the Community`s list of airlines banned in the European Union. With this update the Commission is lifting the ban imposed upon Blue Wing Airlines from Surinam together with the operating restrictions imposed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Blue Wing Airlines and PIA have successfully completed the implementation of a corrective action plan following their inclusion in the list. Their oversight authorities have produced evidence that they verified the measures taken by the airlines and that these measures provide for long-lasting sustainable solutions to avoid the same problems recurring in the future. (EU)
press release
30 NOV 2007 South Africa suspends approval of Nationwide Aircraft Maintenance Organization [to table of contents] The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) announced that with effect from midnight, 29 November 2007, the approval for the Nationwide Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO) has been suspended in terms of Part 145 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. This action has been necessitated by the inability of the AMO to demonstrate full compliance with the applicable Civil Aviation Regulations of 1997 as amended and thereby is unable to guarantee continued safety to an acceptable or required level. Furthermore, the SACAA also confirms the suspension of the Certificates of Airworthiness of aircraft maintained by the AMO in terms of Part 21, effective midnight 29 November 2007. As a result of this action the aircraft that constitute the Nationwide air fleet will not be permitted to undertake any further flights until their airworthiness status has been verified. The SACAA would like to assure the public that the above decision was reached after the SACAA conducted a rigorous audit of the AMO in an effort to confirm its compliance with applicable regulations. The AMO was unable to satisfy the Authority of its capability to continue maintaining the aircraft to a standard commensurate with the requirement of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs). (CAA S.A.)
media statement
