OldAce999
26th Jul 2002, 20:41
Malaysian Airlines (MAS) was fined RM418,000 (US$110,000) by the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration recently for allegedly transporting hazardous material on board a passenger aircraft.
In a press release dated July 1, the FAA said the national carrier had violated the US Department of Transportation’s hazardous materials regulations.
On July 5 last year, MAS shipped an oxygen generator on a passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles, read the press release which was posted on the FAA website.
FAA also claimed that not only did the carrier fail to declare the
generator to the authorities, it also did not notify the crew and failed to meet package specifications for the generator’s transport.
It was also alleged that MAS carrier did not provide the required
emergency response information for the shipment of hazardous materials.
Upon landing, the shipment was taken from Los Angeles via ground transport to Boeing’s Commercial Repair Facility in Seattle before it was opened.
Based on its assessment, the FAA said: “MAS offered, accepted, and transported hazardous materials that were not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, labelled, or in a condition for shipment required by the hazardous materials regulations.”
Chemical leak
The case was also highlighted in the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine in its July 15 edition.
The publication also claimed that MAS, on May 15, 2001, had transported the chemical hydroxy quinolene onboard a passenger flight from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur.
When the Airbus A330-300 landed in Kuala Lumpur, it was discovered that the chemical had leaked into the cargo hold and the aircraft’s air-conditioning system.
The plane was grounded but the corrosion was so severe that it had to be de-commissioned.
The magazine also claimed that this was the second time MAS has been penalised by the FAA.
The first occurred when the airline’s engineering division was stripped of its FAA certification, which it eventually won back after an extensive audit in 2000.
In a press release dated July 1, the FAA said the national carrier had violated the US Department of Transportation’s hazardous materials regulations.
On July 5 last year, MAS shipped an oxygen generator on a passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles, read the press release which was posted on the FAA website.
FAA also claimed that not only did the carrier fail to declare the
generator to the authorities, it also did not notify the crew and failed to meet package specifications for the generator’s transport.
It was also alleged that MAS carrier did not provide the required
emergency response information for the shipment of hazardous materials.
Upon landing, the shipment was taken from Los Angeles via ground transport to Boeing’s Commercial Repair Facility in Seattle before it was opened.
Based on its assessment, the FAA said: “MAS offered, accepted, and transported hazardous materials that were not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, labelled, or in a condition for shipment required by the hazardous materials regulations.”
Chemical leak
The case was also highlighted in the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine in its July 15 edition.
The publication also claimed that MAS, on May 15, 2001, had transported the chemical hydroxy quinolene onboard a passenger flight from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur.
When the Airbus A330-300 landed in Kuala Lumpur, it was discovered that the chemical had leaked into the cargo hold and the aircraft’s air-conditioning system.
The plane was grounded but the corrosion was so severe that it had to be de-commissioned.
The magazine also claimed that this was the second time MAS has been penalised by the FAA.
The first occurred when the airline’s engineering division was stripped of its FAA certification, which it eventually won back after an extensive audit in 2000.