How many -200's still around?
 

Comair has 6 in service - ZS-NNG/NNH/OKD/OKE/OLA/OLB. 1980 to 1984 models.
NTW - approx 12
AVSTAR - approx 4
SAA cargo - 2
Interlink
Interair

Average age is about 25 years - time to retire.

grounded aircraft
 

Insiders in the industry have been waiting for an incident like this to happen especially with the rapidly ageing B732 fleet for a long time now. I know that another southern african airline has had its fair share of problems from aircraft that are leased from SAFAIR. SW has suffered alot of financial loses cause they are IATA regulated, they have had to fork out alot of money to cover costs incurred because of technicals to stranded passengers!Just remember if the airline is not IATA regulated they owe the PAX nothing. That's why when you purchase something always read the fine print. Unfortunetly we work in an environment of tomb stone technology, somebody has to die for something to be changed of which most of the time the big boys knew about it but did cost analysis and decided to expensive.Most of the time when passengers die the airlines (IATA regulated) have to pay a hefty amount for every single one and those expenses out weigh the cost of changing a problem!

B737-300/500
 

The B737 - 300's operated by Comair might be younger in years than the -200 they operate, but they have a lot more hours on them - if memory serves me correctly 60 000+

I remember the good old days when we had blonds with big ears and nice teeth on the jump seat. When they saw the cockpit, their first question usually referred to the age of the aircraft. We then gallantly pointed out to them, after turning around in the seat to face them in the eyes, that age does not matter, it is the hours and the cycles that do!

Does this explanation still hold sme water?:ok:

The -300/500 is a safer aircraft than the -200? No ways!!

Interesting reading the comments about management deciding certain mods are just to expensive and then choosing to ignore them. Another mod for the B732 is the lap-joint mod. Kit alone for this mod is around USD1,800,000 and I know Safair have not had it done (this mod) on their fleet of B732's. So that would mean SAA's -200F's and Interlinks -200's bought from Safair have not had this mod done either. If Safair have not bothered, then it is a certainty that NW have not bothered either. Do we need another Aloha Airlines "instant sunroof conversion" occurring before our wonderful CAA crank up another round of groundings? Then again, I wonder if 1Time have done the tail-cone mods on their DC9's yet? I dont know but I do suggest that before some more crew's experience what the NW crew experienced in CT (which incidentally was a brilliant job by a very competent crew, losing engine and pylon with shut-off valves and then losing hydraulic fluid and fuel while returning to the airport in IMC, great job, just a pity the company does not recognise your professionalism and pay you guys your true worth!) maybe we should be checking up on outstanding mods and the urgency with which they need to be done before "keeping the operation going?":}

Jamex,

You need to double check your alledged "facts" before posting -

"Another mod for the B732 is the lap-joint mod. Kit alone for this mod is around USD1,800,000 and I know Safair have not had it done (this mod) on their fleet of B732's."

You are off by a factor of 10 (or more) to the high side on the mod. Including labor, it should cost USD300,000 to 400,000, and it is not required on the vast majority of the south african fleet for many years - until they reach 50,000 flight cycles.

MOUNTAINS vs molehills!
 

Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears to me that some PPRUNers are overreacting just a tad.
In the last 25 years, how many people have died in fatal 732 crashes in SA..... Yep I believe ZERO is the figure!

Yes the airframes are getting on a bit. But as anyone with an incling of aviation knowledge knows, the age of an aircraft in not measured by years in service, but by cycles and hours. Some aircraft have a virtually limitless airframe life provided the correct servicing schedule is followed!

I believe in pro-active safety management! And I believe that lessons will be learned from this incident as well. Most major advances in aviation safety were afterall made as a result of incidents. Especially one as severe as this one. So lets all just chill and stop wanting to ground everything that was not built in the last ten years (read Airbus), and rather keep what we have safe. If some people on this forum have their way, everything with wings will be grounded! Boy, oh boy, how safe will we be then!!!

Other than SAA. Comair are the only ones who ain't shy to spend money on maintenance.
There is always whining about leveling the playing field. If the other airlines were spending any where near as much as SAA spends on maintenance, there would be a lot fewer flying jobs around SAA.

Arf1410

with regards to your post

You are off by a factor of 10 (or more) to the high side on the mod. Including labor, it should cost USD300,000 to 400,000, and it is not required on the vast majority of the south african fleet for many years - until they reach 50,000 flight cycles.

Thanks for the advice regarding price. This may be what you pay in Seattle but my price reference is what is quoted in SA. Obviously the ring being ripped locally again.

I think we are all missing the point here

At least the CAA has finally been seen to do something - some say over-reaction, but at least they are trying to do something and for that they should be given credit.

We can aruge for months if it is the right thing or not, but something is better than nothing.

Lets give them a bit of credit for that and support them - I know it is a first but let me tell you I was in the tower when it happened and witnessed the whole thing - it looked ugly let me tell you - that crew did an awesome job.

NOW is the time to sit down, go through it rationally and without emotion and come up with the exact cause of the incident and grow and learn from it.

"Thanks for the advice regarding price. This may be what you pay in Seattle but my price reference is what is quoted in SA. Obviously the ring being ripped locally again"
I am confident that the price I provided was correct, even in SA. Where the $2 million USD (to even $3+) may be coming from is that 737s delivered before ~1973 will require a mod of that price prior to 07 Dec 2007 (regardless of flight cycles or hours). I do not believe a single one of those first 291 airplanes anywhere in the world has had that mod done, or ever will, so if the CAAs are doing those jobs, those airplanes will ALL be out of service on 08 Dec. Fortunately, I do not think there is a single flying airplane of that vintage currently registered in South Africa. If someone knows otherwise, please provide details.