Eagle Air entire B1900 fleet grounded?

[Luke SkyToddler]

Cracks Ground Air New Zealand Planes - national | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7431795/Cracks-ground-Air-New-Zealand-planes)

What's the story boys and girls, how long do they reckon it will take to sort this one out?

[27/09]

From what I've heard there are some back in service alrready.

[sleeve of wizard]

Eagle Air grounds services after finding Beech 1900D cracks (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/eagle-air-grounds-services-after-finding-beech-1900d-cracks-375178/)

[mattyj]

Thrashed! Replacement time?

[Kharon]

No bull, no cover up, no duck shoving just a calm believable statement from management.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

"We have found a problem, we are fixing same, sorry for the inconvenience we have provided an alternative method".http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

No whining, no watch dog pony pooh just solid reliable safety practice at work on an island near you. http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

On'ya Kiwi's.:D

[Spinner69]

If by no cover up you mean they didnt mention it is the 3rd time the fleet has been grounded in the last year or so then sure.

If you mean that by no cover up that 14 out of 18 Beech's have cracks in the tail then sure.

If you mean that the statement on the news by the CEO comparing cracks in an aircraft to crack in a vechicle(which can be pulled over to the side of the road if it snaps in two) then sure.

Engineering in disaray, pilots about to hand in their strike notice, managers whinging about other mangers behind their back. What was that thing about holes in cheese lining up...?

[hoggsnortrupert]

Speaks volumes regarding their maintenance procedures, why was not the issue noticed during routine maintenance?

Probably because the time allowed for the checks is minimal, and on a forecast budgetary allowance:

Probably because the Accountants dont allow for nor are they required to have any awareness of issues arising due to the high cycle rate, and probably because they are not required to undertake any CRM or Human Factors training, they probably dont even know what "Swiss Cheese"is!

Aviation, a dying industry::E

H/Snort:

[Corkey McFuz]

So if the 1900Ds are getting old, tired and its time to think about replacing them... what do you replace them with ?

[BORAT SAGDIYEV]

DC3. You like!

[gobbledock]

Oh no, and here I was thinking that it was mainly Aus Aviation that is f*cked.
It would appear that the Pony Pooh Express has arrived in New Zulland! All aboard.
Here is a special 'tick tock' for our friends across the Tasman. Race you to the bottom, on yer mark, get set, go.....................

[plasticmerc]

Replacement for this type of aircraft is the ultimate question!
This is the problem that every operator around the world is facing, what do we replace our fleet of Metro 23's B1900's even operators of Saab's and Embraer aircraft!
There is no manufacturer left that has a reliable and cost effective aircraft to replace them with.
No more M7 (fairchild) no more 1900's being produced.

[NGsim]

No, no Gobbledock......with CASA on this side of the Tasman we will certainly win the race to the bottom......if only it were an Olympic race.....

[deadhead]

AirNZ has already decided on 13 ATR72-600s to replace the 1900s.

[27/09]

AirNZ has already decided on 13 ATR72-600s to replace the 1900s.

Should be fun going into NZWR on a dark stormy night, Cat B speeds and all.

[deadhead]

I didn't say the ATR would be operating the 1900 routes now, did I? Think in more - ah - global terms. If you are in Eagle currently this may be difficult. No more clues.

[nike]

Deadhead .....

With reference to your two posts, how exactly do you replace the 1900 with the ATR and not operate the ATR not the 1900 routes?

[Water Wings]

AirNZ has already decided on 13 ATR72-600s to replace the 1900s.

Longer term perhaps but considering only seven of those are firmed up and those seven delieveries are speard from later this year through 2016, at least in the short term there is no immediate replacement plan. You must also consider that the extra ATR fleet will replace many of the Boeing services on the WN-CH-WN route so much of the extra capacity being added has already been allocated. With the money the Air New Zealand board has not long approved for upgrades to the 1900s, they want 5-8 years more out of them (what they actually get of course remains to be seen).

If you are alluding to the fact that the upgauging of some Q300 services to new ATRs will in turn free up Air Nelson to upgauge some Beech routes then yes, quite correct (e.g. Auckland - Gisborne from later in the year) but the plan then remains to use spare Beech capacity elsewhere i.e. new routes but more likely increased frequency on exisiting routes (that's what I'd do at least) along with more downtime for increased preventative maintenance.