Scandinavian Airlines regrets to confirm that one of its aircraft, again a Dash 8-400 (Q400), with flight number SK2748 from Copenhagen to Palanga (Lithuania) has been involved in an accident. The aircraft experienced technical difficulties and the crew decided to divert to Vilnius Airport (Lithuania) where the accident occurred at 01:36 hrs local time today.
Photo: alfa.lt
According to a Bombardier statement is this indeed the second accident involving the collapse of the right main landing gear shortly after touchdown on a Q400. It is confirm that the 48 passengers and 4 crew onboard were evacuated after landing and no injuries are reported.
A team of specially trained SAS personnel is currently on its way to Vilnius to assist all passengers and crew.
The Canadian manufacturer of Dash 8-400, Bombardier, is in the process of developing an inspection programme. As a precautionary measure, Bombardier and Goodrich, the landing gear manufacturer, is highly recommending that all aircraft worldwide of this type with 10,000 landing gear cycles (a cycle is one take-off and landing) or more will be grounded until the recommended inspection is carried out.
Bombardier has delivered more than 160 Q400 aircraft to airlines around the world, of these there are currently about 60 Q400 aircraft with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles.
Scandinavian Airlines have decided to ground the entire fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft until further notice. No aircraft will be released for operations until inspections have been carried out on all aircraft.
Source: SAS, Bombardier
holy cow… pull the plane!!! people are going to die
I was involved with the original flight tests of this bird. It is a fine aircraft. Looks like the troubles are with poor maintenance and inspection procedures.
Has anyone got an update on whether it is advisable to use these planes I regularly fly with Flybe who use these planes and I am nervous. 12/12/2007
Hi,
Since no futher incidents occured after the SAS ones, yet, and there have not been any fatalities in any of the gear-related incidents (including the ones in Japan), I would call quite safe – as safe as any other airplane.
Btw. was the last SAS incident caused by human error (by maintenance personnel) Read Preliminary Investigation Report
If these planes would be generally unsafe, then the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) would have had grounded this type in Europe at all after the SAS investigations.