More cracks found on A380 wing part
Source: Agencies |
January 26, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AIRBUS faces more discomfort on the A380 superjumbo jet after industry sources said inspections ordered by European authorities had revealed more cracks on a wing component.
The European plane maker insists the world's largest passenger jet remains safe to fly, but the disclosure of further cracks on even a handful of wing components could delay efforts to end a sequence of nagging concerns over its performance.
European safety authorities ordered urgent inspections on just under a third of the superjumbo fleet last week after two types of cracks were discovered within weeks on the same type of part, an L-shaped bracket inside the wing.
Since then, similar cracks have been found inside the 9,100-square-foot wing of at least one of the planes examined under the directive, industry sources said.
The latest findings came as it emerged that cracks on a bracket in another part of the wing were discovered two years ago. The problem was documented at the time but went unnoticed outside the industry.
Airbus insisted Tuesday that this was a different issue from the latest flaws and had been resolved. There are 2,000 brackets in each wing, which is constructed around a rib cage and attached to the wing's skeleton with brackets known as rib feet. The most recent cracks surfaced in this type of bracket.
The crack spotted in 2010 showed up on a bracket in a part of the wing specially designed to help the plane climb steeply at take-off and obey noise restrictions.
The original incident triggered compulsory checks in October 2010, but was dwarfed by the blowout of an engine on a Qantas A380 a few weeks later.
The checks affect 20 aircraft operated by Singapore Airlines, Dubai's Emirates and Air France.
The European plane maker insists the world's largest passenger jet remains safe to fly, but the disclosure of further cracks on even a handful of wing components could delay efforts to end a sequence of nagging concerns over its performance.
European safety authorities ordered urgent inspections on just under a third of the superjumbo fleet last week after two types of cracks were discovered within weeks on the same type of part, an L-shaped bracket inside the wing.
Since then, similar cracks have been found inside the 9,100-square-foot wing of at least one of the planes examined under the directive, industry sources said.
The latest findings came as it emerged that cracks on a bracket in another part of the wing were discovered two years ago. The problem was documented at the time but went unnoticed outside the industry.
Airbus insisted Tuesday that this was a different issue from the latest flaws and had been resolved. There are 2,000 brackets in each wing, which is constructed around a rib cage and attached to the wing's skeleton with brackets known as rib feet. The most recent cracks surfaced in this type of bracket.
The crack spotted in 2010 showed up on a bracket in a part of the wing specially designed to help the plane climb steeply at take-off and obey noise restrictions.
The original incident triggered compulsory checks in October 2010, but was dwarfed by the blowout of an engine on a Qantas A380 a few weeks later.
The checks affect 20 aircraft operated by Singapore Airlines, Dubai's Emirates and Air France.
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