Airline refutes doubts over safety record (396 words)

Published: 7/4/2001

According to a spokesman for Vladivostok Avia, the Tu-154M that crashed 30km from Irkutsk in Siberia while on approach to the city, may have come down because of an onboard explosion caused by the aircraft's fuel system. This theory is based on the fact that the pilot was unable to make a distress call to air traffic control. The GSGA, however, reports that the approach was the third attempt to land at the airport, although reasons for the failed approaches have not been revealed. A MAK investigation commission has already begun work on the crash. Other reports have suggested that the failure of the aircraft's three engines were the cause of the crash, but undoubtedly more will be learned from the aircraft's flight recorders that are believed to have been recovered by the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The ministry adds that it has received a number of conflicting reports of the cause of the crash from eyewitnesses. The aircraft, which was recently acquired by Vladivostok Avia, was built in 1986 and had recently undergone what the airline describes as “capital repairs”. It also insists that it met all standards. According to a spokeswoman for Ural Airlines, which undertakes maintenance for Vladivostok Avia, the aircraft had been inspected on 3rd July at Yekaterinburg's Koltsovo Airport. She added that Ural Airlines was not responsible for the aircraft's fuel, which has been identified as a possible cause of the crash. The aircraft was insured by Far Eastern Shareholder Insurance. The Tu-154 had a number of serious crashes during the 1990s, resulting in a number of fatalities, including one at Irkutsk in 1994 with the loss of 130 lives. Reliability problems have persisted with the increasing age of the Tu-154 fleet, although with few serious crashes in recent years. Vladivostok Avia operated six Tu-154s at the beginning of February (three Tu-154Ms and three Tu-154Bs). In December 1999, engine failure resulting in an emergency landing at Vladivostok. More worrying, however, is that the airline was singled out for mention in a name and shame exercise conducted by the GSGA's predecessor, the FSVT. In a report in May 2000, its safety record showed it as being one of the three airlines among the top 25 that were falling below acceptable standards and as having the worst safety records.

Article ID: 2622