cteneto139 you are quite right ... and your opinion is based on a much deeper knowledge of the machine and the risks than most AH customers.
I think the regulators may have done AH a favour here. A business as usual until we understand the problem worked out ok the first time we has a catastrophic failure. it would also have worked if the last incident was in the distant past. It will still work away from the NS where customers were not so directly affected by previous incidents. But in the NS customers and trade unions would have been in an impossible position. Rightly or wrongly a substantial number of them had formed the opinion it was a dangerous type - a view that could only be dispelled by a decent interval of accident free flying. AH can tell that constituency the thing is safe, problem is many are no longer listening.
AH are in a terrible position; If they genuinely believe that the accident was caused by other factors than the gearbox (and surely they must) then all they can really say is that there is no reason to stop flying it. They can't give vent to their full suspicions for a whole variety of reasons many of them to do with liability. If they don't have private evidence to support this (surely they must)they are heading for a Gerald Ratner moment.
and what about the report it can have four very general conclusions these being;
A. It was a repeat of REDL - everybody hopes not, Airbus clearly believes that wont happen - result catastrophic for Pumas everywhere
B. It was caused by some other form of deign or manufacturing failure result almost as bad as A above
C. It was caused solely by a maintenance error. Result people will want to know how such a thing could have happened in the NS and why it would not happen again.
D. No conclusive reason could be given (see A above)
None of the above scenarios make for good reading. At least if the AIBN can ultimately make an evidenced based conclusion as to the cause AH and its operators can start to move forward.
There is a new model scheduled for 2022 - not far ahead.
I wonder how many Pumas will be flying in the North Sea when it shows up?