Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus DS) Tuesday called his customers A400M military transport aircraft to review the electronic engine management, without establishing a link between this “potential risk” for now and the accident of Spain.
“To avoid potential risks in any future flight, Airbus Defence and Space has informed the operators on the necessary actions to take,” said a press release from the company.
On 9 May, a A400M flight test crashed at its facilities in Seville (south) and killed four people (two pilots and two engineers).
The company “requires operators to perform unique and specific tests of electronic control units (ECU) in each of the plane’s engines before their next flight and detailed additional checks to be carried out in case of any subsequent change of engine or ECU “.
Airbus, however, has so far not established a link between this problem and the A400M accident in Spain, a device that was to be delivered to Turkey in July.
The A400M aircraft holding companies should make their own checks “regardless of the official investigation underway,” said the group.
Are the Spanish military authorities, namely the Commission Technical Accident Investigation Military Aircraft (CITAAM), which presented its findings to the judge in the case.
After the accident, which also left two severely wounded, Germany, Britain, Turkey and Malaysia have suspended flights of aircraft in service.
According to an industry expert under anonymity, the potential problem noted by Airbus DS could result in loss of control of engine power.
“The control programs engines installed were probably wrong, “said the German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing sources close to the company, which would have caused the resignation of three of the four engines. In his view “the accident A400M is due to a lack of quality in the Airbus Seville factory.”
“It could be due to a matter of lack of quality more than anything else,” he told AFP one source close to the case.
DS Airbus declined to comment pending the outcome of investigations.
Twelve A400M are now in service in five countries. As a sign of confidence in the system, Airbus organized on May 12 a test flight from Toulouse (company headquarters in southwest France) and Seville, with the pattern of the military aircraft division of Airbus DS, Fernando Alonso on board.
Germany, United Kingdom, Turkey and Malaysia ordered the suspension of flights of A400M awaiting the results of research.
Only France, which has six A400M, has maintained authorization for priority flights of the devices
-. Spain in favor of suspension of flights –
The Spanish Ministry of Defense refused to make any comments after this note. The minister, Pedro Morenés, has spoken in favor of suspending the flight of the A400M.
The French defense ministry recalled, following the publication of this notice warning, already commissioned a report to President Airbus, Tom Enders, on the capabilities of the A400 M and the delivery schedule.
“We hope the answer to early summer, before making a decision” on the future of the apparatus for France, they explained sources ministry.
The German Air Force also said it is considering this note of warning, and that in any case failed to establish even a reliable way the causes of the accident, since it could not analyze yet data from the black box device.
The technical problems of the A400M engines were the main cause of the delays the program, whose first aircraft was delivered in 2013, four years later than planned.
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