FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1989
1989 - 1882.PDF
FOD cited in Paris MiG crash Shorts gets £780m and new owner mim fei^,^ LiXC. Ks«#f5 i«iii i an Soviet pilot Anatoly Kvotchur escaped with minor injuries when his MiG-29 crashed during its display on the opening day of the Paris Air Show. MiG says foreign object damage (FOD) was the cause. The MiG-29 had almost completed its display, and was performing a slow, high-angle-of- attack pass when the starboard Tumansky R-33D engine appeared to flame out. Kvotchur did not have enough rudder authority to counteract the asym metry, and the aircraft simulta neously yawed and rolled to the right, the nose falling through until the MiG was pointing verti cally down. Kvotchur ejected when the MiG was in an inverted rolling dive at 390ft, the aircraft impacting 21 seconds later. Kvotchur's parachute collapsed BY IAN DORMER The UK Government has agreed to sell Short Brothers to Bombardier of Canada for £30 million, and to pump some £780 million into the Belfast company. Approval for the sale has to be sought from the UK Office of Fair Trading and European Commu nity competition Commissioner. The sale to Bombardier puts an end to Shorts' proposed FJX 50-seat regional jet, although the company will gain a major work- share in Bombardier subsidiary Canadair's Regional Jet. "Until today, there was no prospect for Shorts—it would not have survived," says Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Tom King. "After difficulties had arisen recently in Shorts, from its size in a competitive and complex aviation industry to the low morale due to the uncer tainty of its future, it was clear to the Government that if it was to on the first inflation then re opened for 1 second before he hit the ground, landing flat on his back about 100ft away. On inspection of the MiG-29 wreckage, it was found that the starboard engine was at very low r.p.m. on impact, and had witness marks on the first-stage fan blades consistent with FOD, contends MiG. French authorities point out that the le Bourget runways and taxiways are swept regularly, and that the MiG-29's intake doors are designed to prevent FOD ingestion. MiG believes that the foreign object may have been ingested into the intake's upper louvres, and lodged there until aerobatics freed it. Q Soviet pilot Anatoly Kvotchur ejects seconds before the MiG-29 hits the ground (photograph: Walter Rutter) survive it was urgently needing a private sector owner," he adds. The £30 million being paid by Bombardier is "expected to equate to the adjusted pro- forma net asset value of the company . . . following the restructuring of the balance sheet," says Kleinwort Benson, the Government's financial advisors on the sale. Restruc turing includes writing off a £390 million loan from the Govern ment given to Shorts earlier this year to repay commercial debts. The Government is also advancing a further £275 million to recapitalise the company, eliminate its remaining borrow ings, and meet expected losses on existing contracts and programmes. Of this latter £275 million, at least £60 million will be an interest-free loan. This will be progressively cancelled as specified targets are achieved, but not if Bombardier materially breaches any assurances given on the future of Shorts. The Government is also giving £79 million in grant assistance towards capital expenditure over the next four years to modernise Shorts. Another £18 million will be given for design and devel opment work as part of Shorts contribution to the Canadair Regional Jet programme, and an additional £18 million prin cipally for training employees. Bombardier's assurances to the Government include the mainte nance of Shorts as a separate, whole entity in Northern Ireland, operating under its present name. It will also have a major capital investment programme in the company, and will carry out a business plan designed to secure the future of Shorts as an economically viable and self- sustaining aerospace employer. Bombardier must also hold its shares in Shorts for a minimum of four years. In the light of previous criticism levelled at the Govern ment for selling off state assets too cheaply to the private sector, notably the Rover Group and Royal Ordnance to British Aero space, the Government says, "We have gone into this thor oughly with professional advice". Bombardier's bid succeeded over a competing joint offer from GEC and Fokker. The two bids had been narrowed down from an initial interest from 30 bidders and then down to six before the final two. The Government believes Bombardier offers the best possible future for Shorts. "1 believe the scale and shape of Bombardier makes for a good fit with Shorts to make an effective group," King says. Despite Fokker losing its bid for Shorts, the Belfast factory will continue to make wings for the Fokker 100 twinjet, as a risk- sharing partner. "There is no question of there ceasing to be a relationship between Shorts and Fokker," King adds. Q 4 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 17 June 1989
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
