Archive for the ‘Aviation’ Category
Preliminary report on Cathay Pacific aircraft accident released
Hong Kong (HKSAR) – In accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations, an inspector’s investigation is in progress to determine the circumstances and causes relating to the accident involving an Airbus A330-342 aircraft operated by Cathay Pacific Airways with registration mark B-HLL at the Hong Kong International Airport on April 13, 2010. The investigation is being conducted by a team of investigators from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD), the Bureau d’Enquˆ§tes et d’Analyses pour la sˆmcuritˆm de l’aviation civile of France and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the United Kingdom.The National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia, the National Transport Safety Board of the United States of America, and experts from Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific Airways are also assisting in the investigation. The investigation team today (May 6) released a preliminary report on the accident.
A spokesman of the CAD said that the preliminary report contains facts relating to the accident as determined up to the time of issue and must be regarded as tentative. “The investigation team will continue to collect and study all relevant information in order to determine the circumstances and causes relating to the accident.More in-depth investigation and analysis work has to be done before any conclusion can be drawn,” the spokesman said. “This preliminary report is published at this stage for general information,” he added.
The full preliminary report is attached in the annex.It is also available for download at the CAD webpage (www.cad.gov.hk/english/reports.html).
Cathay Pacific statement on incident at Hong Kong International Airport
Cathay Pacific today (13 April) confirmed that our flight CX780 from Surabaya made an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport at 1343. The aircraft is an A330 with 309 passengers and 13 crew on board.
Cathay Pacific is working closely with the Civil Aviation Department which is investigating the incident.
A Cathay Pacific spokesman said that the left hand engine of the aircraft had shut down as the aircraft made its landing approach at Hong Kong International Airport.
The other engine was functioning.
The spokesman said: “Cathay Pacific flight crew are all trained on a regular basis to handle such situations.”
This spokesman also said that during landing, all four tyres on the left hand side of the aircraft had deflated while two of the four on the right hand side also deflated.
He said that the tyres were designed to deflate during such high energy braking to avoid them bursting. Such landings were usually accompanied by smoke or dust as the tyres become warm and deflate.
As a precaution, the passengers and crew were deplaned through the aircraft’s evacuation slides.
Eight passengers suffered injuries and were taken to hospitals accompanied by Cathay Pacific airport staff.
The aircraft entered into service with Cathay Pacific in 1998 and it had been through all the checks and servicing procedure recommended by its manufacturer, Airbus.
The spokesman added that all the passengers who had not required hospital treatment had been released from the holding area of the airport, assisted and supported by Cathay Pacific staff. Cathay Pacific staff were also present at Princess Margaret Hospital and Yan Chai Hospital to support the injured passengers and their friends and relatives.
Lufthansa pilots end talks, call four-day April strike
One month after suspending a four-day strike after the first day, Lufthansa pilots represented by Vereinigung Cockpit are planning another four-day stoppage, this one scheduled for April 13-16, after talks with the airline regarding the union’s job security concerns reportedly broke down.
Two weeks ago the union agreed to work past a March 8 deadline if the airline continued to engage in “constructive negotiations” (ATWOnline, March 8). Yesterday the union said those talks had failed and that it would wait until next month to strike in order to avoid disrupting Easter travel plans and to “allow Lufthansa’s top management time to change the direction it has taken so far,” according to the Financial Times.
The union claimed LH’s latest offer included a pay freeze, which it would agree to only if the carrier “sticks to an already-agreed deal on safeguarding jobs,” according to the BBC. VC is concerned that LH’s increasing portfolio of airlines will compromise the security of mainline pilots and those operating flights for LH Cargo and Germanwings (ATWOnline, Feb. 22).
Lufthansa said its offer was based on a compromise reached late last month in a Frankfurt labor court and that it “accedes to the concern expressed by the union on job security” and “takes account of the cost structure improvements pledged by the union.” Terms include a pay freeze through 2010, productivity improvements already suggested by VC, job security through 2012 and improved pension benefits, the airline said.
Executive VP-Finance & Human Resources Roland Busch said the company “definitely has to avoid increases in cost. Only with this can we secure employment which we are also willing to assure contractually.”
Wires
CX Flight Attendant Easter Strike
looks like the news just got release that Cathay Pacific Flight Attendant is planning a strike on the upcoming Easter
here is a translated version of the news article from a chinese newspaper: