Page 11 - Flight International (January 2020)

AIR TRANSPORT

INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Bek Air probe reveals safety problems

Regulator identifies carrier’s poor maintenance accounting procedures, lack of wing checks and inadequate training

azakhstan’s civil aviation R-R has confirmed there is
Kcommittee has uncovered a no procedure for removing the
damning list of flaws in Bek Air’s data plates, the committee says,
flight operations and mainte- and the manufacturer has not
nance processes, to justify the received any information about
carrier’s grounding. overhaul of the carrier’s Tay
One of Bek Air’s Fokker 100s engines since they were put into
crashed on take-off from Almaty operation in Kazakhstan.
on 27 December, resulting in the Bek Air’s flight operations
enforced suspension of the have also raised concern. Icing
airline’s operation – which the remains a prime suspect in
carrier had argued was illegal. the Almaty accident and
But the committee states that Fokker 100 procedures dictate
Bek Air has not only suffered two that the wing surfaces must be
major incidents in the past three specifically checked at three
years, but has also experienced a points for ice.
“significantly higher than accept- Chine Nouvelle/SIPA/Shutterstock But the committee says studies
able” level of serious safety prob- of video evidence at the airport
lems over this period. indicate that Bek Air crews
It adds that “a number of generally did not carry out these
violations” were uncovered in a Twelve occupants were killed when Fokker jet crashed at Almaty wing checks.
detailed probe of the carrier initi- The committee has also
ated after the suspension. compared with their recorded But the more serious finding, identified shortcomings relating
Two of these have raised time in operation. says the committee, centres on to documentation of training,
particular concern with the “It also indicates the inability of the removal of serial number data and says there is no evidence of
committee. It states that Bek Air Bek Air to obtain spare parts, plates from aircraft engines. specific training having been
has not conducted full and owing to lack of funding or the dif- “The identification of the en- carried out for winter operations
proper accounting of mainte- ficulty of acquiring spare parts for gines cannot be verified, nor can or icing risk management.
nance processes, particularly old aircraft,” says the committee. their actual hours and cycles be “Given the nature of aircraft
regarding the transfer of compo- Cirium fleets data lists Bek Air verified,” it states. “Several en- operation in the Kazakhstan
nents between its aircraft. as having nine Fokker 100s, pow- gines with such problems have winter, this is a serious safety
This suggests there are ered by Rolls-Royce Tay engines, been identified, casting doubt on issue,” it adds.
uncertainties over the actual with the airframes dating be- the suitability of all of the aircraft Inspection of the carrier has
usage time of components, tween 1989 and 1995. engines operated by Bek Air.” also turned up other violations
with life jackets, emergency
locator transmitters, and a lack of
fire protection in cargo compart-
RESPONSE
Operator defends reputation against ‘strained, biased’ remarks ments. “In general, the state of
the fleet is unsatisfactory,” the
Bek Air is continuing to defend claiming that it chose to remove $12 million last year, and is within committee says.
its operations and practices after plates which were “weakly its rights to swap components Bek Air will be instructed,
being heavily criticised by attached” to expensive compo- between aircraft if necessary. within 10 days of the inspection
Kazakhstan’s regulator. nents – including engines – and Bek Air has also countered the work concluding, to submit a cor-
The grounded carrier is accus- store them at engineering regulator’s accusations over rective action plan to eliminate
ing Kazakhstan’s aviation admin- facilities for record-keeping. training and procedures for all the problems. If it fails to
istration of proving “strained and “Labels were fitted to the units winter operations. resolve the problems within six
biased” remarks about its proce- if they were sent for replacement It argues that its pre-flight months, its certification – which
dures and safety management or repair,” it adds. “There has not procedures include ensuring that has been indefinitely suspended
following an inspection. been a single case of confusion.” control surfaces are clean, since 27 December – will be
In particular, the regulator While Bek Air claims this including with tactile methods. completely revoked.
highlighted missing data plates practice is not specifically prohib- Bek Air points out that its The carrier had appealed the
on engines which, it said, pre- ited, it says it will make duplicates flightcrew undergo training in suspension, arguing that as the
vented identification of individual to fit on engines and parts to Amsterdam twice per year, and commission investigating the
powerplants or their usage. help improve tracking. the airline also provides supple- Almaty crash has yet to reach
Bek Air attributes the loss of It insists it has no problem af- mentary training which covers conclusions, the move was
some data plates to “vibrations fording spares for its small Fokker pre-departure checks during “premature”. It also cited “gross
and other loads on the aircraft”, 100 fleet, spending a claimed icing conditions. ■ violation” of procedures. ■

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