TU 154 maybe grounded by authorities

[paparomeodelta]

According to russian news agency Itar Tass, russian authorities are considering grounding all TU 154 until recent accidents are investigated. Read this today in swedish media:

Krav på flygförbud för Tupolev - DN.SE (http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/krav-pa-flygforbud-for-tupolev)

[paparomeodelta]

"Enligt byråns källa inom flygsektorn kommer transportstyrelsens chef Gennadij Kurvenkov att råda transportminister Igor Levitin att stoppa Tupolev-planen tills den senaste händelsen utretts grundligt."

Meaning Gennadij Kurvenkov, chief of board of transport, is going to advice minister of transports Igor Levitin to stop the Tups (154) until the recent accident is thouroghly investigated...

[ORAC]

RIANOVOSTI: Russia's transport watchdog urges airlines to ditch Tu-154B passenger jets (http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110102/162027364.html)

Russia's Federal Transport Overseeing Service, Rostransnadzor, on Sunday recommended that air carriers put Tu-154B passenger jet out of service until the causes of the explosion onboard of the aircraft of the same type which occurred in Siberia January 1 are not established.

A Tupolev Tu-154 airliner was engulfed in flames after one of its engines caught fire as the plane taxied down a runway and then exploded on Saturday afternoon at airport of the Siberian city of Surgut. Most of the passengers and the crew were evacuated before the explosion.

The passenger jet was carrying 116 people, including nine children, eight crewmembers and ten specialists of Kogalymavia, the airline said. Three passengers were killed in the accident and other 43 received injuries.

"Rostransnadzor has prepared an instruction which recommends air companies suspend flight operations carried out by Tu-154B aircraft until the causes of the plane accident in the Airport of Surgut are not established and measures to abate the risks coming from using this kind of aircraft are not taken," a statement by the watchdog said.

A spokesman for Rostransnadzor emphasized that the move would not affect the business performance of the air carriers as there are currently only fourteen aircraft of this type in Russia.

The families of each of the three passengers killed in the explosion will receive 2 million rubles ($65,500) in compensation; those injured will receive up to 2 million rubles depending to the severity of their wounds, the Russian insurance company Sogaz said.

The Kogalymavia company pledged to pay 20,000 rubles ($654.7) each of the passengers of the ill-fated jet in compensation.

The administration of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District where the tragedy occurred has already allotted over 10 million rubles ($327,360) to help the families of the victims of the explosion.

MOSCOW, January 2 (RIA Novosti)

[andrasz]

Before we all get carried away, the grounding affects the Tu-154B-2 models, NOT ALL Tu-154s. Of the B-2 variant (produced until 1982) only 14 (!) are left in service in Russia. All other are Tu-154M, a substantial upgrade compared to the old B-2 (new engines, new flaps, upgraded avionics, etc.) The difference between the two can be compared to the B737-200 vs. 737-300.

Edit:

Mod's, would be a good idea to merge the two threads.

[ARRAKIS]

Look like it's about all remaining Bs.

Source:
Ðîñòðàíñíàäçîð: íîâîñòè (http://www.rostransnadzor.ru/rostrans/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=4057)

Arrakis

[andrasz]

All still flying B-s are B-2. After 1978 still serviceable B (some which in turn were converted -A) and B-1 variants were converted to the B-2 standard at their next heavy checks. However as the old Soviet airframes had a calendar limit (30 years if I remember correctly) as well as flight hour and cycle limits, I would be surprised if any but the very last batch of B-2s would be airworthy today

[paparomeodelta]

It´s a beautiful bird, would hate to see it disappear. But read in wikipedia that limited production is still going on, so it will probably outlive me ;)

Photos: Tupolev Tu-154M Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled/Tupolev-Tu-154M/1470720/L/&tbl=&photo_nr=7&sok=&sort=&prev_id=0645681&next_id=0254805)

[andrasz]

One of my more memorable TU5 flights was into Arlanda on SU back in '85. Beautiful clear day, we flew downwind left and parallel to the runway at around 6000', as we just passed the threshold right wing dropped and pointy end went down at (at least to me) a rather alarming angle. About 30 seconds later wing snapped level, pointy end pulled up and wheels hit the deck. No nonsense like stabilized approaches those days...

[square leg]

So, what are you saying?

TU 154 maybe grounded?

OR

TU 154 may be grounded?

[gchangflyer]

Um...TU 154B may be grounded...