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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0129.PDF
LETTERS Maintenance engineers do carry out thorough checks I was interested to read the letter from Captain Hamilton (Flight International, 19 December -1 January) in which he suggested two areas for improvement during maintenance and after flight. As a practising aircraft engineer since 1963 and UK Civil Aviation Authority licensed since 1969,1 am all for improving safety wherever possible. Concerning Captain Hamilton's suggestions, however, I would like to point out the following: First, with the licensed/ certified engineers that I have worked with, it comes as second Safety department as much to blame The SIA 747 crash on take-off was an avoidable tragedy. With human error playing a part in such incidents, they are likely to happen again. The accident was no doubt a pilot error but the safety depart ment at Chiang Kai Shek airport cannot be exonerated - their safe ty measures should have been suf ficient to prevent the error. The runway not in use should have been better marked. The pilots must have been under pressure because of high winds and heavy rains and this was a contributory factor in the mistake. If pilots are to be prosecuted then the chief of safety for Taiwan airport should be also as he is equally responsible. From this accident the follow ing improvements can be made: • Chiang Kai Shek airport should have ground movement radar; • runways and taxiways under repair should be better marked, especially at the entry points; • control towers should have authority to close the airport in bad weather; • aircraft manufacturers should set a surface wind limit for their aircraft, with 50 to 60kt (90- nature to ensure that any access panels that have been removed for maintenance are correctly and securely installed afterwards. During Scheduled Maintenance Inputs there is always a workcard for such action, which has to be signed off before the aircraft can be released. Aircraft maintenance manual instructions always include tire removal and fitting of the associated panels, with any cautionary notes as applicable. Second, I agree that a "thorough" inspection should be made after each flight to ensure that nothing has worked loose due to vibration (known as a 1 lOkm/h) considered, provided the runway cross-wind compo nent is not exceeded. Winds of 90kt can blow large and small objects to obstruct the runway or damage an aircraft. CAPTZAFARISRAR Karachi, Pakistan A smile and more space for passengers I agree with Jacqb Zilber's letter (Flight International, 2-8 January) concerning gimmicks affecting safety issues on the Airbus A3 80, but I think that Airbus is thinking of the increase in passengers and the problem of air traffic conges tion. Whether the A3 80 will solve this, time will tell, but my concerns as a passenger are high density seat ing and the associated discomfort. I understand that airlines can specify cabin layout on any aircraft. If an airline wishes to add further entertainment features such as gambling/self service buffets/com puter centres, in the belief that it will attract more customers, then only they can decide whether or not this will be a nine-day-wonder. I suspect that most airline bosses will see dollar signs lighting up and opt for more seats. This is worrying in terms of .allowing more leg room. Mr Zilber's ideas on more "pre-flight/turnaround check)". Any noticeable vibration itself should, of course, be reported by the flight crew, as indeed would any heavy landing as this too may induce panels to become loose. "Pre-flight/turnaround" checks away from base are usually performed by the flight crew, so perhaps they would require more training in order to perform such thorough inspections, or is Capt Hamilton suggesting that an appropriately qualified engineer is located at every station or flies with the aircraft? BOB COOPER, LAE Copthorne, West Sussex, UK comfortable seats are sound. The A3 80 is a wonderful opportunity for an airline to take that a stage further. There will be, naturally, more cabin crew, so how about starting the passengers' journeys calmly and orderly? Instead of calling everyone together for boarding and passen gers struggling to put baggage into lockers while others try to squeeze past looking for seat numbers, why not call twenty or thirty passengers at a time by name, and have them escorted by the cabin crew to their seats. A smile and a friendly chat on the way to the aircraft would at least put passengers in the right frame of mind. And more leg room please. Happy customers will return. PETER CAREY Portchester, Hants, UK The 603 myth Re the feature "Bigger Brother" (Flight International, 12-18 Dec ember, P40). I was at Canadair/Bombardier from 1990 until 1998 and worked on the CRJ100 and the initial CRJ700 and all the models in between. I ran into the designa tion and marketing model num ber morass several times and never found die mythical 603. DAVID LAMB Claremont, NH, USA The opinions on this page do not necessarily represent those of the editor. Flight International cannot undertake to publish letters without name and address and reserves the right to select or edit letters. Address: The Editor, Flight International, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5'AS, UK E-mail:flight.international@rbi.co.uk WHAT'S ON Flight International Crew Management Conference 5-6 February, London, UK Contact Angela Jones Tel+44 (20) 8652 3818 Fax +44 (20) 8652 3482 Email angela.jones@rbi.co.uk Arab Aviation Conference & Exhibition 5-7 February, Bahrain Tel+44 (20) 8876 1979 Fax+44 (20) 8392 9468 Email info@propertyshows.com VAVAustralia Conference & Exhibition 8-9 February, Melbourne Contact Sallie Edwards Tel+44 (20) 8652 8718 Fax +44 (20) 8652 3482 Email sallie.edwards@rbi.co.uk Aero India 2001 7-1 i February Bangalore, India Website www.aeroindia.com Asia Pacific Unmanned Systems Forum 8-9 February (preliminary) Melbourne, Australia Contact Sallie Edwards E-mail sallie.edwards@rbi.co.uk HAI Heli-Expo 2001 11-13 February Anaheim, California, USA Contact Alec Dickey, HAI Tel+1(703) 683 4646 Fax+1(703)683 0341 AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting 11-14 February Santa Barbara, California, USA Contact AAS Tel+1 (734)615 3282 Fax+1 (734) 763 0578 ICAP 12 February Tysons Corner, VA Contact NDIA, Greenberg Tel+1 (703) 522 1820 Fax+1(703) 522 1885 Munitions Executive Summit & IOC APBI 12-14 February Tysons Corner, Va Contact NDIA, McCrory Tel+1(703) 522 1820 Fax+1 (703) 522 1885 Airport Operational Safety Conference 12-14 February Cairo, Egypt Contact Melania Mason, ACI Tel+41 (22)717 8753 Fax +41 (22)717 8888 E-mail mmason@airports.org Website www.aiqiorts.org Flight International's "Beneath the skin " exhibition is on at La Musee de Vair et Vespace, Aeroport de Paris, Le Bourget BP2 13, 93352 Le Bourget, Cdx, France. For further information contact: Tel+44 (20) 8205 2266 Fax+44 (20) 82057617 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9 - 15 January 2001
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