Russia Susoends B737 family Airworthines certification
 

Citing concerns over the elevator system....................

Is this linked to the crash a few years ago that looked like an OCF near the ground?

Tartarstan Airlines Flight 363.

PPRuNe thread.

Dunno Loneworlf as I don't read Russian! You can see the Russian text on AV H+r+ld but I expect in the present "circumstances" that it's more to do with matters over Sinai..........

OK, I'll give this a few days. Hopefully some of our Russian PPRuNe friends can shed some light.

No comments except WTF yet :ugh:

My thoughts exactly.

Quite a step to take, will hurt their own industry quite a bit I reckon.

Don't really see why it should happen now, as the Metro a/c was an Airbus but, surely a coincidence, or more...........

Just a bit of Conspiracy theory


1) Head of MAK is mother of Transaero owner
2) She also rumored as recently ceased ex-prime minister common law wife

PS: Letter to FAA from MAK cites Kazan crash

you got a copy of the contents?

Head of MAK is Tatiana Anodina, mother of Transaero founder, Alexander Pleshakov. Speculation about this obvious conflict of interest has been going on for years, also given that Anodina held shares at Transaero (by the way, she conveniently sold them in August, just before imminent bankruptcy news broke out publicly on 01/09) and was a member of the board of directors. Transaero seemed to enjoy priority treatment back in the days when Evgeny Primakov (career politician, held prime minister seat in 90's) was around (exemption on VAT for importing foreign aircrafts for example) as many speculated about love affair between him and Anodina. MAK was founded in early 90's by Anodina (i.e. private person) and it is a highly controversial story as it enjoys powers of the sole air accidents investigation body and aircraft type certifications in CIS countries, by law no other body can question MAK's investigation conclusions.

Anyway, this latest development over B737 certificate suspension by MAK clearly something that would be unheard of when Transaero was still operating (all aircrafts grounded on the 26'th of October after Russian CAA annulled Transaero AOC) as it was the biggest operator of B737 in Russia and MAK's decisions never adversely affected Transaero commercially unlike it's competitors (one of the examples being when a few years ago MAK refused to issue certificate for Aeroflot's B777 while it was never a problem for Transaero).

The general feeling in Russian aviation community is that this is joke and 'revenge' for Transaero's grounding by CAA more than anything else (other major operators of B737 in Russia is S7 airlines (they refused to bail out Transaero even though they had a last minute formal agreement) and Aeroflot group with subsidiaries (Transaero blaims Aeroflot for controlled bankruptcy after government by force instated Aeroflot's man as new CEO in September, which eventually led to sales termination and AOC being annulled).

More news to follow on Friday after CAA briefing.

It's in Russian

No problem

Yes, that letter I've read. Can't seem to find a direct reference to the Kazan Crash however?

Sorry if I mislead you by "direct". but in first paragraph there is mentioned letter which was sent by MAK after Kazan crash.

http://mak.ru/russian/investigations...00_vq-bbn.html

He he
 

MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) cannot stop Boeing-737 aircraft operation by Russian air carriers, press service of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said on Thursday.

"IAC cannot stop operation of this aircraft in Russia airlines by its decision to revoke the certificate for Boeing-737. Only a specifically empowered federal executive authority can introduce the prohibition on flights of a certain aircraft type. It has not made such a decision," the press service said.

President of the Russian Association of Air Transport Operators Vladimir Tasun told TASS the decision to suspend Boeing-737 flights can be taken by aviation authorities and not by the Interstate Aviation Committee but this will hardly take place.

"Airlines will be bound to stop flights of Boeing-737 only after receiving the official letter from Russia aviation authorities. IAC, though it suspended the certificate, is not formally related to them. Boeing-737 aircraft are in the Irish and the Bermudian registers; the Russian state is not responsible for them from the standpoint of maintaining airworthiness. It is not a simple matter to stop over 200 aircraft," Tasun said.

Boeing-737 aircraft are not in the Russian register and the suspension of IAC certificate will not affect further operations of aircraft by Russian aircraft, he added.

Here we go, battle has begun. This is the evidence it is NOT related to flight safety concerns by MAK (IAC -- eng abbreviation) and is not a joint decision with CAA.

I bet MAK's foundations are becoming shaky with possible removal of Anodina soon or even liquidation of MAK.

You mean REALY related, do you? ;)

Kulverstukas,

Nope, not related to flight safety of B737. My understanding this is pure revenge (I know it sounds bizzare) for grounding Transaero by Aeroflot (& S7 dishonouring of last minute deal). Otherwise CAA would have backed MAK's decision.

I get it, I just can't found [SARCASM][/SARCASM] tag ;)