Safety warning ignored

Citation

(2008), "Safety warning ignored", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2008.12780dab.021

Safety warning ignored

Article Type: Safety notes From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 80, Issue 4

A full version of The Safety Warning that the Aircraft Engineers International published after its congress in London, September 2007, was sent to all the European Aviation Authorities, the AEI state that this has received little response, let alone support or acknowledgement from these authorities.

Although the safety warning was clear and precise and specifically informed the authorities where this evidence could easily be found, AEI states that it is of the opinion that no authority is willing to investigate and/or report any findings to AEI. The authorities that answered, more or less stated that their system of inspection was excellent and that they followed their own procedures which did not revealed major malfunctions. According to the AEI, it would appear the authorities do not want to open a “Pandora’s box” to discover unwanted truths.

The AEI states that it is concerned of the apparent Ignorance of the European National Aviation Authorities regarding their own systems. According to the AEAI, they claim that they have never observed pilots not writing down defects when they occur; the AEAI asks why would they? Nobody would speed with a police officer sitting next to them. The AEI believes that as authorities, they want to play safe by looking at procedures rather than find errors.

Before sending out the safety warning and receiving little positive response, AEI says that it had the feeling that the authorities could be trusted to do their job, but as it has received little responses, the AEI states that it now believes this was a wrong assumption and a too positive attitude. The AEI informs us that it will continue to confront the public, the European Transport Committee, as well as EASA with these results, and will demand an investigation of the failure to carry out this safety inspection.

The AEI states that in addition, they have again raised the issue of aircraft engineer’s licenses illegally being issued by a number of European National Authorities and the unwillingness of these authorities, as well as EASA to withdraw these Licenses. AEI is against any form of general pardon with regards to illegally acquired licenses, as it now appears to be the standard behaviour. AEI therefore demands EASA take the necessary steps to pressure the European NAA’s to take their responsibility seriously and have these licenses withdrawn.

The AEI reports that they have received information from other sources that the present neglect of EASA Part 66 conversion rule continues, even though officially this has been completed.