Waghi,
Text of release below. I agree, it seems a little premature. Yesterday's National newspaper actually ran with similar info yesterday, including the cost of the component required to fix the problem, and the man hours required to fit it! That National article is inserted here below the APNG press release.
A STATEMENT TO ALL THOSE WHO FLY WITH US
____________________________________________________________ _______________________________
You will have heard by now that
Airlines PNG has been given the ‘all clear’ to return its Dash 8 aircraft to service, with flights resuming today Friday, 28 October 2011.
We want everyone to know that while we all still grieve following the recent accident in Madang, you can have total confidence when you fly with Airlines PNG.
This not just us saying we’re safe. Since the accident, CASA PNG
has led a team involving overseas experts from regulatory authorities in Australia and Canada together with representatives of the people who build the plane and make the engines.
The absolute safety of our aircraft and our systems has been confirmed
through their tireless efforts. We have always been confident that the integrity of our safety practices would be confirmed by rigorous scrutiny. While a full investigation continues to be carried out, early evidence points to a failure of a component on the aircraft through no fault of the airline, the pilots, or anyone else at Airlines PNG. It caused a loss of power to both engines, leaving the flight crew with no alternative other than to attempt an emergency landing. We have been assured that such a component failure can in no way be attributed to any maintenance practice, or operational procedures over which Airlines PNG has responsibility. Action is now being taken to make sure it cannot happen again, not only on our Dash-8 aircraft, but by those also flown by others in PNG and around the world.
Airlines PNG provides a vital service to everyone in PNG. We also know that people need to have confidence every time they board an aircraft, whether it’s operated by us or anyone else. We believe you can have that confidence when you fly with us.
We will continue to work with the official regulators to make sure all our aircraft,
our
engineering and maintenance staff, and our pilots meet the highest world aviation
standards. Every day, our people work hard to deliver your safety, and they will continue to do that too.
The safety authorities have carried out the most thorough and rigorous investigation and tests, and they have established beyond doubt that our aircraft are absolutely safe to fly.
They would not let us operate unless they had total confidence in our aircraft, our pilots, and our engineering and maintenance standards.
You can have absolute confidence in Airlines PNG: our aircraft, our equipment, and our people.
The Team at Airlines PNG
FROM "THE NATIONAL" 28th October 2011
AIRLINES PNG Dash 8 aircraft have returned to service but on strict conditions.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) PNG yesterday cleared the 11 aircraft following preliminary findings of the investigations into the catastrophic Dash 8 crash of Oct 13 in Madang in which 28 out of 32 people on board perished.
The directive required more frequent inspections and test on the propeller governor and power lever systems and, within 120 days, the installation of components that will ensure a failure that occurred in Madang is not repeated.
The new parts will cost US$20,000 per aircraft and some 120 man hours to install in each aircraft.
As more information becomes available, CASA (Australia), which had been monitoring the investigations in PNG with interest, might apply the same airworthiness directive to include Australian operators of Dash 8.
APNG announced it had already placed orders for the parts with Bombardier of Canada.
Civil Aviation Minister Puri Ruing said CASA’s decision was made in consultation with the aircraft manufacturer, Canadian authorities and the accident investigation commission.
Ruing said the CASA directive now required all Dash 8 operators, including Air Niugini, to comply.
There are presently 21 Dash 8 aircraft operating in PNG owned mostly by APNG and Air Niugini.
While a preliminary investigation report has not been made available, it is understood the airworthiness directive affected Dash 8 series 100, 200 and 300 aircraft operating in PNG.
It is understood that a component failure on the aircraft had caused the propellers to go too fast resulting in both engines failing.
This, initially, absolved Airlines PNG of any fault mechanical or human error.
Airlines PNG said yesterday its grounded fleet had undergone extensive maintenance checks and would resume both charter and passenger operations today.
“Airlines PNG have been very cooperative with the authority to make the necessary safety changes to their operations in order for the authority to allow the return of their Dash 8 fleet to service,” Ruing said.
“This return-to-service will be in a progressive manner over the next two weeks and has some imposed conditions pertaining to operational procedures and training.”
Ruing said these were the immediate steps being taken in the interests of aviation safety, however, further safety action could be required as more information became available.
The authority, assisted by CASA Australia, would continue to monitor the safety performance of the airline through audits and surveillance.
Airlines PNG chairman Simon Wild said: “We thank the safety authorities for their tireless efforts which have confirmed the safety of our aircraft and systems.
“We have always been confident that the integrity of our safety practices would be confirmed by rigorous scrutiny.”
“While a full investigation is continuing, preliminary evidence pointed to a component failure through no fault of the airline which resulted in
the loss of power to both engines,
leaving the flight crew with no alternatives but to attempt an emergency landing.
“In accordance with recommendations from the safety authorities, steps have been taken to ensure such failure did not take place on any of our aircraft, and we understand that all other Dash 8 operators in PNG are implementing the same safeguards,” Wild said.