Boeing slats leave carriers in a flap

New Delhi: One week ago, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft of the Taiwanese airliner, China Airlines, exploded after it caught fire on landing in Japan. The US Federal Aviation Administration ordered inspection of wing slats on all newer Boeing 737 planes because the mishap occurred when a bolt that had come loose from the wing slat pierced a fuel tank. Yesterday, Japanese inspectors found a key part of the wing slat missing from a Boeing 737-700 aircraft of Air Nippon. More than 90 new Boeing 737 (600 to 900 series) aircraft are at present flying in India’s air space. But only some Indian airlines are aware of the problem.
Are the aircraft - in use by Jet Airways, Jet Lite and Spice Jet - safe? Are Indian airlines aware of the FAA inspection?
SpiceJet, which has an all Boeing-737 fleet, has sent the aircraft for major inspection.
The Jet Airways spokesperson, Mr AK Sivanandan, expressed ignorance about the FAA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive which was issued on Saturday to owners and operators of 783 US-registered airplanes.
Air India director and spokesperson, Mr DS Koli, said they had received FAA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive. “We have 14 brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which would now go for scheduled checks. If required we would take assistance from Boeing also...” said the AI spokesperson.
31/08/07 The Statesman

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2007, General Aviation Sep 2007, Safety Sep 2007