Global aviation is once again in the headlines, and it now seems to be happening every week, raising concerns about flying safety.
Last week, a Boeing 737 Max was damaged during a flight after it experienced an unusual manoeuvre called “A Dutch Roll" at 34,000 feet. A statement issued by the FAA alleges that Boeing and Airbus may have used "counterfeit” Titanium on commercial planes.
Records were falsified by suppliers on the quality of the titanium supplied. It is an extremely serious development considering the critical role played by titanium in crucial aircraft flight profiles.
It is used in landing gears, blades, turbine discs, fasteners, passenger seats, engine frames and engine fan blades, any compromise on the quality of these components will lead to disaster.
The troubling issue of bogus parts being installed on passenger aircraft is a serious global concern. Faulty, incorrect or illegal parts have led to multiple crashes globally, resulting in crashes and hundreds of deaths.
On September 8 1989, Partnair Flight 394 crashed off the coast of Demark. Fifty passengers and five crew members died in the crash caused by the use of counterfeit aircraft parts in repairs and maintenance.
The US National Transportation Safety Board has linked bogus aeroplane parts to at least 32 general aviation crashes involving 11 or more deaths since 2011.
Though these parts have not been blamed for any commercial aeroplane crashes, government records show 2,868 incidents of standard unapproved parts discovered on commercial planes flown by almost every airline.
According to aviation data,166 accidents or serious mishaps between May 1973 and April 1993 were due to bogus parts. No country or agency tracks the use of unapproved parts, so the magnitude of the problem is nearly impossible to estimate.
Farouk Araie, Benoni
READER LETTER | Rising use of bogus parts compromises aviation
Image: REUTERS/Jason Redmond/File Photo
Global aviation is once again in the headlines, and it now seems to be happening every week, raising concerns about flying safety.
Last week, a Boeing 737 Max was damaged during a flight after it experienced an unusual manoeuvre called “A Dutch Roll" at 34,000 feet. A statement issued by the FAA alleges that Boeing and Airbus may have used "counterfeit” Titanium on commercial planes.
Records were falsified by suppliers on the quality of the titanium supplied. It is an extremely serious development considering the critical role played by titanium in crucial aircraft flight profiles.
It is used in landing gears, blades, turbine discs, fasteners, passenger seats, engine frames and engine fan blades, any compromise on the quality of these components will lead to disaster.
The troubling issue of bogus parts being installed on passenger aircraft is a serious global concern. Faulty, incorrect or illegal parts have led to multiple crashes globally, resulting in crashes and hundreds of deaths.
On September 8 1989, Partnair Flight 394 crashed off the coast of Demark. Fifty passengers and five crew members died in the crash caused by the use of counterfeit aircraft parts in repairs and maintenance.
The US National Transportation Safety Board has linked bogus aeroplane parts to at least 32 general aviation crashes involving 11 or more deaths since 2011.
Though these parts have not been blamed for any commercial aeroplane crashes, government records show 2,868 incidents of standard unapproved parts discovered on commercial planes flown by almost every airline.
According to aviation data,166 accidents or serious mishaps between May 1973 and April 1993 were due to bogus parts. No country or agency tracks the use of unapproved parts, so the magnitude of the problem is nearly impossible to estimate.
Farouk Araie, Benoni
READER LETTER | Bogus aircraft parts catastrophic
READER LETTER | Boeing prioritises profit over passenger safety
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos