Letter: Safety procedures after air accidents

Sir: Your article 'Aircraft safety proposals 'ignored' ' (14 February) implies that the Civil Aviation Authority took no action on a recommendation made by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) following an accident in 1990. In the case cited, a mandatory emergency Airworthiness Directive, for all aircraft of that type, was issued within a month of the recommendation being made and was refined as further studies of the problem were completed. Inquiries to the manufacturer in the US suggested that the problems were possibly due to types of operation specific to the UK and this was drawn to the attention of all UK operators of these aircraft.

We are satisfied that the AAIB recommendation was appropriately addressed.

Yours faithfully,

E. A. INGHAM

Head

Aircraft Maintenance

Standards Department

Safety Regulation Group

CAA: Civil Aviation Authority

Gatwick Airport

West Sussex

25 February