Inspection Programs Not Adequate When Air Transat Plane Lost Rudder Over Cuba
Posted on: Thursday, 22 November 2007, 15:00 CST
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
GATINEAU, Que. - Investigators say inspection programs were inadequate at the time an Air Transat Airbus lost its rudder and started to go out of control more than two years ago.
But the Transportation Safety Board of Canada report, released today, says "corrective actions" will be taken by both Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency, the certification authority for Airbus products.
Air Transat Flight 961 left Varadero, Cuba, for Quebec City on March 6, 2005, with 262 passengers and nine crew on board.
Those aboard the Airbus A310 heard a loud bang and felt some vibration before the aircraft started to roll 17 minutes after takeoff.
The flight was cleared to a lower altitude and the pilot managed to bring the plane under control before returning to the company's maintenance facilities in Varadero.
The pilot had no pedal control over the plane's yaw during landing and it was later discovered that almost the entire rudder was gone - most likely because of damage that existed before take-off.
One flight attendant suffered a minor back injury during the incident.
Investigators found that inspection programs for the particular model of composite rudder were not adequate for "the timely detection of defects."
The board said a rudder separation reduces directional control and could cause the vertical tail plane to fall off.
The board is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway, and aviation transportation incidents.
Source: Canadian Press
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