Pakistan International Airlines ATR aircraft failures predicted before purchase

LAHORE: The recent failure of PIA’s Italian-French ATR turboprop aircraft was predicted by PIA’s technical evaluation team before the purchase deal but the top management had ignored the advice, The News has learnt.

Two PIA ATR airplanes had recently suffered engine failures after their engines shut down up in the air, though the passengers remained safe. At the time of purchase of these aircrafts, the PIA had constituted an engineering team led by the then Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Khalid Mahmood, Aircraft Engineer Avionics Mohammad Zahid, Aircraft Engineer Planning and Projects Kashif Hafeez and Aircraft Engineer Power-plant and Overhauling Ahmer Abbas.

According to Engineering Evaluation Report submitted by PIA aircraft engineers on May 24, 2004, serious reservations were communicated to the management and the defence ministry regarding ATR’s engine’s performance in the Pakistani conditions. The static display, test flight and demonstration flights of the ATR 42-500, were held from 11th to 14th May 2004 to assess the aircraft.

Aircraft Engineers of Oman Air, which had used the ATR aircraft and the ATR technical personnel, were a part of the process. Detailed discussion with them regarding their experience of flying the ATR aircraft in saline and dusty/desert environment led to various observations. PIA engineering also had an insight into repeated snags in the ATR aircraft logged in by Oman Air Engineering. These were also shared with the PIA top brass and the defence ministry.

The report under the head of ‘Disadvantages’ of buying ATR 42-500, cautioned that the High Pressure Turbine Blades of the aircraft engine, with cooling holes, if blocked due to dusty weather operation, can cause breakage of the blade and result in engine failure.

The same problem was reported by Oman Air, which had used the aircraft. The dusty atmosphere of Pakistan was, therefore, declared an uncongenial environment for functioning of ATR 42-500.

The ATR 42-500 team had guaranteed the aircraft engine’s performance for 15,000 cycles of operation. In the event of any problem faced by the engine, the PIA was to pay 60 per cent of repair expenditures and the remaining 40 per cent by the ATR manufacturers.

After recent failures of ATR engine within quick succession, the ATR 42-500 technical team members said they were ‘mistaken’ regarding 15,000 cycles, as now they believe that the aircraft guarantee under Pakistani conditions is 5000 cycles only.

In the last three years alone, the ATR aircrafts have reported 40 major engine problem incidents. The price of the seven aircrafts bought was $78.97 million. The price of spare parts was $6.66 million, spare engines $7.25 million, and other facilities or training cost $7.60 million. This implies that the PIA bought the aircraft only good for 5000 cycles while they paid the amount for 15000 cycles.

Another problem reported in the evaluation was that the baggage area is not spacious enough to carry a failed engine . When contacted, PIA spokesperson Sultan Hassan said the aircraft procurement deal was done by then PIA top brass and the defence ministry and the current administration is not the best source to explain the pros and cons of this purchase.

http://www.thenews.com