Aircraft repair only by maker advocated

Press, 28 August 1984, Page 22

Aircraft repair only by maker advocated

PA Auckland New generation aircraft such as those on order for Air New Zealand could be made unsafe if airlines made modifications and repairs, according to the senior production engineer for Qantas, Mr Barry Cupitt. The safety threat posed by aircraft such as the Boeing 767 s ordered for Air New Zealand and Qantas lay in their advanced digital electronic systems, Mr Cupitt told the Auckland branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society on Saturday evening. Extreme precautions had to be taken when working on the systems, and the

general modifications and repairs done by airlines could render the machines unsafe, he said. Mr Cupitt said he was worried at the apparent lack of concern shown by airlines over the problem — and even more worried about what would happen when the system began to appear in light aircraft. The digital electronic system was completely new — so much so that many skilled engineers had difficulty in grasping its complexities, he said. It was controlled by a central computerised “brain,” and any work done on even a minor component could show up in unexpected happenings through-

out the aircraft. It was possible for the damage done to remain “hidden” within the system until it either caused a problem in flight, or failed to act the right way during the emergency. The keys to the system were microchip plastic cards, and very few people were expert enough to manipulate them, he said. “My personal feeling is that (airlines) should agree not to attempt any modifications to the equipment, but to send it back to the manufacturers when work has to be done,” he said. “The reality is that the airworthiness of aircraft can be affected — it is that serious."