ID :
14789
Mon, 08/04/2008 - 09:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/14789
The shortlink copeid
CASA announces Qantas investigation
(AAP) - The aviation watchdog has formed a special team to investigate Qantas amid growing public concern the airline's safety standards may have slipped.
The decision comes after the captain of a Qantas 767 flight made an emergency landing at Sydney Airport after discovering a hydraulic fluid leak.
It was the third Qantas plane in just over a week to make an emergency landing because of a mid-air fault.
On July 25, a Qantas flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Manila after a mid-air explosion tore a hole in the plane's fuselage, while on Tuesday a domestic flight was forced to return to Adelaide after a wheel bay door failed to close.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) says it has no evidence to suggest safety standards have fallen at Qantas, but is taking additional precautions following the latest incident.
"I wouldn't say we're concerned about Qantas' safety at all. In fact, we've found no
evidence of safety slipping within the airline or safety standards being allowed to
drop at all," CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said.
"But we've got to be cognisant. If things happen we need to be flexible and
proactive and respond to those (concerns) and that's what we're doing."
Mr Gibson said the special investigation team would examine in greater depth a range
of issues such as maintenance, safety systems and the way in which Qantas had
handled the recent incidents.
"We have no evidence to suggest there are problems within Qantas but we think it's
prudent and wise to go in with a new special team and take an additional look at a
range of operational issues within Qantas."
Mr Gibson said there was no reason for the public not to have confidence in Qantas.
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has been in there looking at their handling of
recent incidents. We've been looking at their performance in general. We completed
an audit in June ... and we've found no evidence of any problems or shortcomings
within the airline.
"Cleary, there's been a number of incidents recently and it's important that we go
in and double check and make sure that all the standards are being maintained."
The review will be take place over the next two weeks.
The decision comes after the captain of a Qantas 767 flight made an emergency landing at Sydney Airport after discovering a hydraulic fluid leak.
It was the third Qantas plane in just over a week to make an emergency landing because of a mid-air fault.
On July 25, a Qantas flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Manila after a mid-air explosion tore a hole in the plane's fuselage, while on Tuesday a domestic flight was forced to return to Adelaide after a wheel bay door failed to close.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) says it has no evidence to suggest safety standards have fallen at Qantas, but is taking additional precautions following the latest incident.
"I wouldn't say we're concerned about Qantas' safety at all. In fact, we've found no
evidence of safety slipping within the airline or safety standards being allowed to
drop at all," CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said.
"But we've got to be cognisant. If things happen we need to be flexible and
proactive and respond to those (concerns) and that's what we're doing."
Mr Gibson said the special investigation team would examine in greater depth a range
of issues such as maintenance, safety systems and the way in which Qantas had
handled the recent incidents.
"We have no evidence to suggest there are problems within Qantas but we think it's
prudent and wise to go in with a new special team and take an additional look at a
range of operational issues within Qantas."
Mr Gibson said there was no reason for the public not to have confidence in Qantas.
"The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has been in there looking at their handling of
recent incidents. We've been looking at their performance in general. We completed
an audit in June ... and we've found no evidence of any problems or shortcomings
within the airline.
"Cleary, there's been a number of incidents recently and it's important that we go
in and double check and make sure that all the standards are being maintained."
The review will be take place over the next two weeks.
