SAS to ground 43 MD-80's
 

SAS have announced today that they will be grounding 43 MD80's for undercarriage checks after finding cracks on routine maintenance. This comes after conclusions that fatigue cracks have contributed to at least three main-gear failures on the type in the last six years. SAS add that they will be cancelling up to 150 flights as a consequence and that checks should take three days. SAS fleet of MD80's consist of 63 aircraft.

Have a gander at the report into an incident at Liverpool here.

Does SAS great credit to react so positively.

Hear, hear, to SLF3's post above. Takes guts and professionalism to do that. All power to their management. And long may it prosper.

SAS conducts extra technical check on aircraft

SAS has decided to conduct an internal technical check of a number of
aircraft in the MD80 series. During the routine check of an aircraft in
this fleet, a fracture was detected in a cylinder of one of the legs of
the landing gear. This check is being carried out to ensure that there
is no risk of fractures in the remaining MD80 aircraft.

There are 43 aircraft, of a total of 63, that are to be checked and this
process is expected to take about eight hours per aircraft. The aircraft
will be taken out of service on Friday on landing at one of the
Scandinavian home bases. The reason for the fracture is currently being
investigated by SAS in cooperation with the aircraft manufacturer. The
checks are expected to be completed during the weekend.

Unfortunately, these checks will have a negative impact on the traffic
program, which will naturally affect SAS customers. These inconveniences
are regrettable. However, since safety is the highest priority at SAS,
the airline is putting safety first and conducting this comprehensive
check.

SAS customers who experience problems are asked to contact SAS ticket
offices or SAS personnel at the airports.

For further information, please call SAS + 46 8 7972944

May I first of all add to that of SLF3 and tilii. It does indeed show good safety awareness by SAS.

Secondly, I have had an idea and as that doesn't happen very often please hear me out. SAS are grounding 43 aircraft. This as stated will affect the operation and therefore their passengers. From an earlier thread I see that SAS were already grounding 21 aircraft, since 9:11. This leaves 22 aircraft's worth of flying. Seeing as bmi have a vested interest in SAS and they are grounding 11 aircraft coundn't these 11 be brought in on a wet lease type arrangement to operate the SAS flights while they are being checked plus mods etc.

If this were to happen this would leave 11 aircrafts worth of flying. With the bmir 146 lufty contract ending soon these could also be brought in. This would just leave a few routes affected and therefore less disruption to the schedule.

Maybe it's not the greatest idea in the world but it may be a way for me and a few others keep their job.

Also happened to an Airtours MD83 at Man in about 1993/4. Can not remember excactly when now but I spent a long night moving the thing of the one and only runway as it was then.

Le loup garou,

I've heard worse ideas, however, tech estimates 36 MDs returned to service by tomorrow. A lot of overtime by our friends in overalls. Thumbs up for finding the fracture in the first place.

For your idea to work, the "system" would have to be in place in advance. After all, we don't ground 70% of our MD fleet on a regular basis. :) Personally, I am all for a closer cooperation between the Star members, in good times as well as bad. A temporary pilot surplus in one airline should (if possible) be absorbed by another airline with a need for pilots (present day being a bad example).

I hear camels are considered a tasty meal in some parts of the world. :D

Scando, Oh well worth a try. I'm glad that it will not be affecting SAS long term.

I hope that our friends in overalls get the thanks that they will have deserved. It would be nice to have the star airlines helping each other out, although in the current climate I suspect that it is a bit of everyman for themselves.

AOG :

Do you mean this one ?