まゆの部屋

JAL told to ground aircraft for further checks
The Yomiuri Shimbun

The Construction and Transport Ministry on Thursday ordered Japan Airlines to ground a passenger aircraft that had been kept in service without the required checks being carried out after the ministry found JAL's reinspection of the plane was substandard, ministry officials said.

The carrier flew the plane, an MD-87, which was earlier found to have defects in its main landing gear, without confirming the integrity of the fuselage.

In the emergency inspection conducted Monday after JAL's inadequate checks were revealed and the firm was reprimanded by the ministry, JAL servicing staff failed to comply with the required inspection procedures, the ministry officials said.

JAL, which had the plane in question fly 12 flights Tuesday and Wednesday, was reprimanded by the ministry again Thursday for not conducting the inspection properly.

According to the ministry, JAL inspected the MD-87 on Monday at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, but failed to carry out required procedures such as using a designated chemical to check for cracks in the main landing gear.

A service staff member with a special qualification must conduct that inspection. A 44-year-old mechanic stationed at Haneda Airport who is in charge of such inspections flew to Hokkaido to check the aircraft.

Due to miscommunications between the mechanic and the department in charge of delivery of materials, however, one of the two chemicals needed for detecting small cracks was not delivered to New Chitose Airport.

The mechanic ignored the required inspection procedures and conducted the check using only one chemical.

Although the mechanic was unable to check thoroughly whether there were cracks, he used the result of another check and concluded that there was no defect in the landing gear. The mechanic finished the inspection shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday and contacted JAL's maintenance department, saying he had found no abnormalities. Based on the report, JAL put the plane back in service, beginning with a flight from Sapporo to Akita departing at 8:45 a.m. the same day.

(Mar. 24, 2006)