An Airbus A320 (Source: planespotters.net)Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Transport on December 3 began checking all Airbus A320s registered in the country after a faulty component was found to contribute to the crash of an AirAsia plane, causing loss of 162 lives, in 2014.
Eighteen officials would conduct inspections on the 75 Airbus A320s registered in Indonesia by AirAsia and three other domestic airlines in a bid to prevent similar accidents.
They will examine the technical documents, operation documents, and planes, with a focus on the RTLU (Rudder Travel Limiter Unit).
Head of the civil aviation directorate general, Suprasetyo said the planes can still operate while the checks are being conducted but if any is found to have "repetitive trouble" with the rudder unit, then it will be grounded.
The ministry is expected to announce inspection results on June 2, 2016.
The AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea in December 2014, killing all 162 passengers and crew members on board. So far, 56 bodies have not been found.
Investigation results announced on December 1 showed that cracked soldering in the plane’s system that helps control the rudder’s movement caused it to malfunction and send repeated warning messages to the pilots.
The pilots tried to reset a computer system but in the process turned off the plane's autopilot, and then lost control of the aircraft.
The component had suffered 23 problems in the 12 months prior to crash, with malfunctions occurring more frequently in the final three months, the investigators found.-VNA
