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Old 5th November 2008, 05:34 AM
damien b damien b is offline
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Default Aircraft maintenance problems increasing

From smh.com.au



Quote:
Aircraft safety problems soaring
Paul Bibby
November 5, 2008

A SNAPSHOT of aviation safety since 2003 has revealed a significant increase in mechanical and operational problems on Australian aircraft, refuting official claims that the recent spate of mid-air incidents and light plane crashes do not reflect a broader problem.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's annual review - which covers Australia's entire aviation fleet from recreational aircraft to passenger jets - shows a distinct rise in the number of reported incidents that involve aircraft frames and engines.

These components have been involved in a number of recent mid-air mishaps and maintenance controversies, and suggest the age of Australia's fleet of light aircraft is becoming a liability.

Between 2003 and 2007, the number of reported incidents involving the structural frames of aircraft across Australia increased by 75 per cent, including a 48 per cent rise between 2006 and 2007.

Reported incidents involving aircraft power and propulsion components such as engines and propellers increased by 26 per cent over the period, with a spike in 2007.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority said that it did not believe the statistics represented a significant threat to passenger safety because the review showed that the number of fatalities and serious aviation accidents had remained stable or fallen over the period.

But aviation industry experts say the figures raise serious questions about the impact of cost-cutting measures introduced by airlines such as Qantas and the age of Australia's general aviation fleet.

"In the past Qantas and the other major Australian players did far more than required on maintenance," said the former chairman of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Dick Smith.

"But now they're going right to the limit of what they're allowed to do under the regulations. Shareholders want more profits and passengers want lower prices and the only way the airlines seem to be able to deliver that is by cutting corners."

Qantas has strenuously argued that its maintenance standards have not fallen, despite a series of highly-publicised mid-air incidents, including the dramatic plunge of an Airbus A330 over Western Australia last month.

A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman, Peter Gibson, said while the authority believed that the overall statistical picture was positive, the figures highlighted the problems of an ageing aviation fleet.

The average aircraft age across Australia's 14,300-strong fleet is about 30 years.

"The majority of the aviation fleet is made up of smaller aircraft which transport freight or small numbers of passengers, not the major airlines," Mr Gibson said. "What this shows is that the owners and operators need to keep their aircraft in absolutely top condition. They need to do more work to keep safe."

The bureau's review also showed a significant increase in operational issues in recent years.

The number of cabin safety incidents more than doubled, from 22 in 2003 to 46 in 2007, and fuel-related issues - such as an aircraft's fuel reserves dropping below the legal minimum during a flight - rose from 43 to 56.

The Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association said the figures raised questions about the effectiveness of reforms made to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in 2003. "For all the effort that's gone into reform, it doesn't seem to be producing results," a spokesman said.
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