Mon, Dec 01, 2008
A320 Had Just Been Repainted For Redelivery To Carrier
Aviation accident investigators are talking a close look at
whether the recent repaint of an Air New Zealand Airbus A320
contributed to a fatal crash last week that claimed the seven
people onboard.
As ANN reported, the A320 was nearing the end
of a maintenance checkout flight November 27, when it suddenly
plunged into the Mediterranean Sea while on approach to Perpignan,
France. The plane was slated to be returned to owner Air New
Zealand after coming off lease to Germany's XL Airways.
The Australian newspaper reports a firm in Perpignan had
recently painted the aircraft in the ANZ livery. Media reports
indicate the accident flight was the plane's first since it was
repainted... raising the possibility a static port or other sensor
area may have been painted over, or was still masked off.
Contrary to that theory is the knowledge the airliner apparently
flew without incident two hours before it crashed into the sea.
Investigators hope the plane's cockpit voice recorder will shed
some light on the flight's last moments. Crews recovered the CVR
this weekend, and it appears to be in good condition. Crews have
also located the flight data recorder, and hoped to recover that
vital equipment early this week.
In related news, Air New Zealand identified their employees
believed killed in the crash: pilot Brian Horrell, 52; Murray
White, 37, an engineer from Auckland; and engineers Michael Gyles,
49, and Noel Marsh, 35.
Civil Aviation Authority official Jeremy Cook, 58, from
Wellington, was also on board the airliner, which was flown by two
German pilots.
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