Airlink: 5 possible causes
2009-12-09 08:22
George - At least five factors could have caused an SA Airlink Embraer 135 to have overshot the runway while landing in wet weather at George Airport on Monday.
The runway surface, the pilots' judgement, the weather, a mechanical problem or a possible "deep" landing were mentioned on Tuesday as factors which could possibly have contributed to the incident.
In response, SA Airlink has appointed an independent expert to review the airline's safety processes and procedures.
Scully Levin, who was one of SAA's most experienced captains until his recent retirement, will identify any gaps in Airlink's operations and training.
According to Airlink managing director Rodger Foster, any shortcomings will be corrected by the airline. The same goes for any gaps regarding the maintenance of their planes.
Suspension could be disastrous
On Tuesday pilots said any suspension of Airlink's services could have disastrous consequences for the country, for travellers, and especially for the airline in the run-up to the soccer World Cup.
The airline delivers a reliable and well-established service, especially to smaller airports in South Africa and the region.
The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) on Tuesday refrained from commenting on allegations that the runway at George Airport was recently resurfaced.
This work was apparently finished about two weeks ago.
The grooves which have to be cut into runways to help stabilise aircraft during wet landings, have apparently not been cut yet. In the past, pilots were accustomed to the fact that this runway had the necessary grooves.
Rain
George has been dry for months, but the accident happened shortly after the first rains this week.
On Tuesday pilots said that, in such a case, there is usually a significant amount of rubber and oil on the runway, which is forced to the surface by the moisture.
This, along with the alleged lack of grooves, could have contributed to the fact that the plane wasn't able to come to a complete stop in time. The crew had apparently also landed deep, which means there was far less runway left than a shallow landing would have left.
The same kind of Airlink aircraft overshot a runway in January 2004 at Ndola in Zambia in similar rainy conditions.
It's been reported that the same captain was involved in both incidents. However, it had apparently been the co-pilot who performed the landing in Ndola.
Future of airline
On Tuesday, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said he wants feedback from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by Friday regarding the situation at SA Airlink, so that he "can make a decision about the future of this airline".
Ndebele said on Talk Radio 702 on Tuesday that he's mandated to be concerned about the public's safety. For that reason, Ndebele requested an urgent meeting with various role players in the air travel industry as well as Airlink representatives, in order to provisionally inform him about their findings.
Ndebele assured the public that all travellers can be comforted by the fact that South Africa still has one of the safest airspaces in the world.