Tails You Lose!
The launch of the Airbus A350 aircraft, preceded by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are set to usher in a new era of travel luxury, space and eco-friendly aircraft, following the development of innovative technologies.
One such innovation is the development of a carbon-fibre composite, which it is said, will usher in a new ‘economy’ to the world’s airlines; lighter, stronger and more fuel efficient aircraft. There has been a recent report that a recent test of carbon-fibre sheet/moulding production, has successfully produced a large one single piece of carbon-fibre; the implications being that it is possible to produce a fuselage or an entire wing from one production line.
However, there is a slight blot on this technological horizon. The New Scientist reported (22/11/07), that a Canadian airliner, an Airbus A 310, suffered a major flight incident, when the rudder of the aircraft broke off whilst on a flight from Cuba to Canada. Miraculously the skill of the crew managed to bring the aircraft down to a safe landing, without any injury to passengers or crew.
The Canadian Transportation Safety Board carried out a full investigation, discovering a serious safety issue during the maintenance of aircraft . Tap testing used to check for weaknesses or corrosion, missed small gaps which would ordinarily be found on traditional materials. The Report suggested that a ‘twanging test’, using lasers to produce high resolution echoes, could be the answer.
In the rush toward new technologies, the question must be asked; how are these new products tested before delivery, and how are maintenance crews trained, or is this a factor we have to re-consider when another jetliner suffers a similar calamity?
This article first appeared in the Travel-Zine of HolidayTraveWatch; Get’Away - Your Route to Travel Rights - Issue 6 - May 2008
Tags: Aircraft Safety, Get Away
HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
