Status regarding the SAS Group's Q400 aircraft

September 18, 2007 10:32

On September 9, one of SAS’s Dash 8-400 (Q400) aircraft was involved in an accident in Aalborg. The Danish Accident Investigation Board’s preliminary report presented on September 13 established that the cause of the accident was due to the corrosion of a bolt that secures the landing gear in the hydraulic cylinder that opens and closes the gear.

The Lithuanian Accident Investigation Board has not yet presented its report on the accident that occurred in Vilnius on September 12.

The SAS Family Assistance Team is in contact with the passengers who were onboard the aircraft in the two accidents to provide assistance and support where needed.

All of the SAS Group’s 27 Q400 aircraft are grounded for additional inspections in accordance with the airworthiness directive (AD-note) issued by Transport Canada last week. Parts of the landing gear on all aircraft are being replaced, regardless of whether the fault has been detected.

The 12 Q400 aircraft at outstations are currently being flown back to the bases in Copenhagen and Stockholm. These flights are being operated by technical pilots and after SAS’s own technicians have performed certain necessary inspections. The Scandinavian authorities have granted permission for these flights to be operated.

The inspections of all of the Group’s Q400 aircraft are expected to be completed by the end of the week. SAS is awaiting the OPS Committee’s* decision on the issuance of a certificate of airworthiness. This will take place once the Committee believes that it has received relevant documentation and information.

Due to the prevailing circumstances, SAS has been forced to cancel a large number of departures and we regret the inconvenience caused to our customers. For updated information on the traffic situation, refer to www.sas.se, www.sas.dk and www.sas.no.
SAS Group Corporate Communications *The OPS Committee is a co-operation body that, through an agreement, has been established by the civil aviation authorities in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.