Fault on Air N.Z. jet causes disruptions

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 3

Fault on Air N.Z. jet causes disruptions

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor A mechanical fault on Air New Zealand Boeing 747 at Honolulu on Wednesday caused disruptions to the airline’s international schedules yesterday. Seven flights were cancelled, including Thursday’s scheduled return service between Christchurch and Sydney. The 515 passengers booked on the two flights were rerouted on other services through Wellington and Auckland. Flights between Honolulu and Los Angeles, Auckland and Perth, and Sydney and

Auckland were also cancelled. A special T.A.A. charter flight from Sydney to Perth today will carry passengers originally booked Air New Zealand’s cancelled Auck-land-Perth direct service. The disabled 8747 has a fault in its elevators control system which was detected by the aircrew as they taxied for take-off from Honolulu. Flight TE6, from Auckland, was on its way to Los Angeles. The aircraft returned to the terminal where its 268 passengers were transferred to other flights to North America.

An aircraft’s elevators are movable horizontal wing-like extensions on either side of the tail. They are moved by backward or forward pressure of the pilot’s control column which raises or lowers the nose for climbing or descending. Like all flight controls on big aircraft, the elevators are power-assisted. The aircraft is expected to return to Auckland later today. The fault comes close after the 8747 bird strike at Christchurch on Monday. That aircraft required a double engine change and was restored to service yesterday.