Overseas maintenance a 'major concern'
July 2, 2008 - 10:43AM
Advertisement
A Senate inquiry into the country's aviation safety watchdog has heard serious concerns about the quality of overseas aircraft maintenance facilities.
The inquiry is being conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's (CASA) management and regulations, and ways in which its regulations could be tightened to enhance its role as a safety regulator.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), an organisation that represents the industrial, technical and professional interests of engineers and other maintenance workers, has told senators the quality of overseas work was not up to standard.
They gave an example of an aircraft that returned from overseas last week with 60 defects that should have been fixed.
"That aircraft has had faults such as earth wires not being connected which caused an electric shock to flight attendants in the galley," ALAEA Senior Industrial Officer Gary Norris said.
Mr Norris said it was a "major concern", given the work had been signed off by the airline, which had implemented a customer inspection requirement in its commercial contract.
"Upon further investigation we were advised by our members, and we haven't had the documentation to verify it but we had been advised that, effectively, the securing bolts for the actual galley assembly may not have been secured," he told the inquiry.
"And we're looking at a mass of approximately 300 kilos in an aircraft that hasn't been secured properly.
"This is a major concern in that the paper system that, in fact, the airlines rely on to ensure the work's done, is not making the link to the practical application of that paper work."
ALAEA spokesman Stephen Re, who gave evidence on behalf of engineers, said it highlighted concerns with the accreditation of overseas facilities.
Mr Re said evidence suggested there was no process for the aviation authority to go to look at an aeroplane being worked on in an overseas facility.
Overseas maintenance a 'major concern' - Breaking News - National - Breaking News
Following on from The Masked Goatriders post things are starting to look a bit wobbly for QE management and CASA. Finally someone is asking our questions and starting to get a real picture of what is happening not the diatribe the Company stooges have been handing out.
Hopefully the days of lies and corruption are coming to an end