September 6, 2001
Transat blames engine maker
No comment: Rolls-Royce: Replacement motor missing crucial part, airline says
Graeme Hamilton
National Post
Paul Chiasson, The Canadian Press
Captain Robert Piché, right, co-pilot Dirk DeJager and flight director Melani Tesic at recent news conference.
MONTREAL - Air Transat yesterday tried to shift blame for a near-disastrous fuel leak to the manufacturer of the jet's engines, Rolls-Royce.
Michel Lemay, a spokesman for the charter airline, acknowledged that Air Transat's maintenance crew made mistakes during an engine change on an Airbus A330 five days before the plane lost all power midway across the Atlantic.
But Mr. Lemay said the replacement engine supplied by Rolls-Royce was missing a crucial part, the hydraulic pump, and did not meet the manufacturer's own safety guidelines.
''We took delivery of a Rolls-Royce engine to make that change in mid-August,'' he said. ''The engine was supplied by Rolls-Royce, and their own engine had not been updated according to the [service bulletin.]''
Last week, Rolls-Royce and Airbus provided the first indication that faulty maintenance work by Air Transat had caused a fuel leak on Flight 236 from Toronto to Lisbon.
In urgent notices to airlines flying A330s, the two companies said a fuel pipe feeding the Air Transat jet's right engine cracked after rubbing against a hydraulic pipe. They said Air Transat had failed to fully apply a March, 1999, service bulletin from Rolls-Royce modifying the two pipes to ensure adequate clearance between them.
The rapid fuel leak and subsequent loss of power created a terrifying scene on board Flight 236 as 306 passengers and crew prepared for a ditching at sea until, at the last minute, the pilot managed to land safely on the Azores Islands.
Mr. Lemay said Air Transat mechanics installed the proper hydraulic pump but used a hydraulic line that pre-dated the service bulletin. He said they were confident there was adequate clearance between the fuel and hydraulic lines.
The airline took the unusual step yesterday of admitting its mistake before the investigation into the incident is complete because it had to defend ''its integrity as a company,'' Mr. Lemay said. It wanted to rebut a newspaper report that the mechanic who did the work warned his superiors the jet was unsafe.
''When the aircraft was signed off from the hangar, everyone was comfortable with that,'' Mr. Lemay said. ''The engine change had been done, and no so-called warning to anyone was ever traced.''
The airline now admits that the hydraulic pump was improperly installed. ''Mistakes happen,'' Mr. Lemay said.
But he noted that the 1999 bulletin from Rolls-Royce was only a recommendation, not mandatory. He said it was only made mandatory last week following the near-crash of Flight 236.
Mr. Lemay also said investigators have not determined that the maintenance foul-up caused the fuel leak. Air Transat is not even acknowledging that its mechanics failed to leave enough space between the two pipes.
The maintenance supervisor who approved the work has been placed on paid leave. The jet flew 67 hours following the engine change before the emergency.
Leslie Wilder, a spokeswoman for Rolls-Royce, said the company will make no comment until the investigation, led by Portuguese authorities, is complete. A Transport Canada spokesman said late yesterday that in light of Air Transat's admission, David Collenette, the Minister of Transport, will be making a statement today regarding further action against the airline.
The government has already told Air Transat to give its pilots refresher courses on safety issues and beef up its maintenance program.
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Air Transat
Read the news releases on Flight TS 236 here.
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